December 14, 2017
FCC votes to repeal net neutrality rules
The FCC voted 3–2 on December 14, 2017 to repeal the 2015 Open Internet Order — ending Title II classification of broadband and returning ISPs to lighter-touch regulationGovernment rules governing technology — privacy, competition, safety, and export controls..
What it was for
Chairman Ajit Pai's Restoring Internet Freedom Order let ISPs theoretically block, throttle, or prioritize traffic again — though major providers largely pledged not to. States like California passed their own net neutrality laws; startups worried about paid peering deals affecting latency-sensitive apps. The repeal remained politically contested through subsequent FCC administrations.
Why it's here
The 2017 repeal reversed the strongest federal net neutrality protections U.S. developers had.
Why it mattered
It shifted broadband regulationGovernment rules governing technology — privacy, competition, safety, and export controls. to state-by-state patchwork and renewed ISPInternet service provider — a company that sells internet access to homes and businesses. lobbying battles.
What it solved
ISPs argued Title II rules discouraged infrastructure investment; advocates feared fast-lane discrimination.
Media
- ImageFederal Communications Commission
Umasankar Arumugam, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Related
- FCC adopts Open Internet net neutrality rulesFebruary 26, 2015
- Larry Page and Sergey Brin incorporate GoogleSeptember 4, 1998