January, 08 2010, 02:36pm EDT
Free Press Argues in Historic Comcast v FCC Case
Court to Weigh FCC’s Authority to Protect Net Neutrality
WASHINGTON
Free Press will argue in support of the Federal Communications Commission today in the Comcast v. FCC case at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Free Press counsel Marvin Ammori is arguing for Free Press as an "intervenor" in the case on behalf of public interest groups.
Free Press Policy Director Ben Scott made the following statement on the significance of the case:
"This is the first case testing the authority of the FCC to protect
Network Neutrality. Comcast secretly blocked BitTorrent -- a popular
Internet application -- without notifying their customers. They denied
it for months before the weight of evidence forced them to admit their
culpability. This incident is a prime example of why we need solid Net
Neutrality rules, but Comcast is still trying to avoid accountability.
"Today's arguments center on whether the FCC has the legal authority
to adjudicate complaints against Net Neutrality violators and whether
the process it conducted was fair in the Comcast case. Alongside the
FCC, we have cited numerous grounds of legal authority in the
Communications Act and presented plain evidence that the FCC handled
the case appropriately. The FCC spent nearly a year studying and
reviewing the facts of this case before making a measured decision
finding Comcast had acted unlawfully. Citing the very ruling it is
challenging in court today, Comcast has in fact acknowledged the FCC's
authority to enforce Net Neutrality.
"The critical importance of this case lies in the precedent set by
the FCC in its first action to enforce Net Neutrality. If this decision
is upheld, it will mark a turning point in telecommunications law and
bolster the agency's current move to make its Network Neutrality
principles into much-needed rules."
Copies of the briefs in Comcast v FCC:
www.freepress.net/files/Comcast_Amicus_FP.pdf
Free Press was created to give people a voice in the crucial decisions that shape our media. We believe that positive social change, racial justice and meaningful engagement in public life require equitable access to technology, diverse and independent ownership of media platforms, and journalism that holds leaders accountable and tells people what's actually happening in their communities.
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