Net neutrality restored as FCC votes to regulate internet providers

The FCC on Thursday restored rules to prevent broadband internet providers such as Comcast and AT&T from favoring some sites and apps over others — for instance, by slowing or blocking certain content or by offering higher speeds to customers willing to pay extra. The move effectively reinstates a “net neutrality” order the commission first issued in 2015 during the Obama administration; the FCC under then-President Donald Trump subsequently overturned those rules in 2017. The telecommunications industry opposed the change, as it has before, declaring it an example of unnecessary government interference in business decisions.