A U.S. court has ruled that the FCC lacks the authority to censure Comcast for interfering with subscribers Internet traffic in a decision that could limit the government’s power to police companies’ Web behavior according to press reports.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in a unanimous decision by a three-judge panel, vacated the Federal Communications Commission’s 2008 order against the largest U.S. cable company.
The ruling is a setback for Internet companies led by Google Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. that want so-called net neutrality rules to keep Internet providers such as Comcast, Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc. from limiting Web traffic.
The FCC in 2008 censured Comcast for blocking subscribers using peer-to-peer software often used to view videos, a decision hailed by consumer groups as a step toward keeping Web traffic free of obstruction from corporations. Comcast said it delayed some file transfers to alleviate network congestion.
The FCC is taking comments until tomorrow on net neutrality rules that would forbid companies from favoring content they own, and from blocking or slowing rivals’ services.