June, 14 2016, 03:00pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Brian Wesolowski,Director of Communications,press@cdt.org,+1 (202) 407-8814
A Win for Net Neutrality as Court Upholds FCC Order
The D.C. Circuit released its opinion today in US Telecom v FCC, handing a historic victory to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), net neutrality advocates, and consumers. In a 2-1 decision, the Court of Appeals upheld reclassification for both fixed and mobile broadband services, preserving the FCC's ability to ensure that carriers treat equally all traffic crossing their networks.
WASHINGTON
The D.C. Circuit released its opinion today in US Telecom v FCC, handing a historic victory to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), net neutrality advocates, and consumers. In a 2-1 decision, the Court of Appeals upheld reclassification for both fixed and mobile broadband services, preserving the FCC's ability to ensure that carriers treat equally all traffic crossing their networks.
"Today's decision is a victory for consumers, free expression, and the core principles on which the internet was created. The Court made the right decision in affirming the FCC's decision on reclassification of internet broadband services, providing the best path forward for advancement of consumer choice, access, and privacy rights," said Lisa Hayes, CDT Vice President for Programs & Strategy.
All three judges hearing the case agreed that the Commission has the statutory authority to reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service. Judges Tatel and Srinivasan further found that the decision to reclassify was a reasonable one, upholding the FCC's action to apply a limited number of common sense "common carrier" rules to prevent broadband providers from disadvantaging competitors or imposing special fees on content providers for "fast lanes" to consumers.
This case arose in April 2015, when US Telecom and other trade groups representing internet service providers (ISPs) challenged the FCC's reclassification of fixed and mobile broadband internet access services as a telecommunications service and its subsequent regulation under Title II of the Telecommunications Act. CDT joined the case as an intervenor in support of the Commission's Open Internet Order's bright-line rules against blocking, throttling, or paid prioritization of internet traffic. The Order also paves the way for privacy protections to ensure that internet users have a clear understanding and choice in how broadband providers use or share information about their online activities.
"As the Circuit Court found, the FCC carefully reviewed a complete record in the Open Internet proceeding and clearly explained its approach for putting in place meaningful open internet protections," Hayes added.
The Center for Democracy and Technology works to promote democratic values and constitutional liberties in the digital age. With expertise in law, technology, and policy, CDT seeks practical solutions to enhance free expression and privacy in global communications technologies. CDT is dedicated to building consensus among all parties interested in the future of the Internet and other new communications media.
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House Dems Voice 'Deep Concern' Over Biden Claim That Israel Is Legally Using US Arms
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More than two dozen House Democrats on Tuesday challenged the Biden administration's claim that Israel is using U.S.-supplied weapons in compliance with domestic and international law—an assertion made amid an ongoing World Court probe of "plausibly" genocidal Israeli policies and practices in Gaza.
Citing "mounting credible and deeply troubling reports and allegations" of human rights crimes committed by Israeli troops in Gaza and soldiers and settlers in the occupied West Bank, 26 congressional Democrats led by Texas Reps. Veronica Escobar—who co-chairs President Joe Biden's reelection campaign—and Joaquin Castro asked U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines "whether and how" their agencies determined Israel is lawfully using arms provided by Washington.
"We write to express our deep concern regarding the U.S. Department of State's recent comments regarding assurances from the Israeli government, under National Security Memorandum (NSM) 20, that the Israeli government is using U.S.-origin weapons in full compliance with relevant U.S. and international law and is not restricting the delivery of humanitarian assistance," the lawmakers wrote in a letter to the Cabinet members.
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According to Palestinian and international officials, more than 110,000 Palestinians have been killed or wounded by Israeli forces since October 7. Most of the dead are women and children. At least 7,000 Palestinians are also missing and presumed dead and buried beneath the rubble of hundreds of thousands of bombed-out homes and other buildings.
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Responding on social media, his wife, Stella Assange—who is an attorney—blasted the U.S. assurances as "weasel words."
"The United States has issued a nonassurance in relation to the First Amendment, and a standard assurance in relation to the death penalty," she said. "It makes no undertaking to withdraw the prosecution's previous assertion that Julian has no First Amendment rights because he is not a U.S citizen."
"The Biden administration must drop this dangerous prosecution before it is too late."
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So far, the Biden administration has ignored significant pressure from Australian and U.S. politicians as well as human rights and press freedom groups, and continued to pursue the extradition of Julian Assange, who was charged under former President Donald Trump—the Republican expected to face the Democratic president in the November election.
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