In January 2025, a US court dealt a setback to the then Joe Biden administration by rejecting its attempt to reinstate net neutrality rules. The court ruled that the federal government doesn’t have the authority to regulate internet providers like utilities. The decision came as a major blow for advocates of an open internet, who have long pushed for rules requiring providers like AT&T to treat all legal content equally.
So, What Exactly Is Net Neutrality?
The idea behind net neutrality is that everyone should have equal access to the internet, irrespective of their identity or service provider. It implies that internet service providers cannot slow down, block or favour some websites, apps or platforms over others.
The idea of net neutrality is straightforward. It implies that all internet traffic ought to be handled equally. Providers shouldn’t grant quicker access to businesses that can afford it, nor should they limit speeds for certain websites or applications. On the internet, everyone has an equal chance.
Net Neutrality In US
A number of legislative changes and political conflicts have shaped the history of net neutrality in the US. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established regulations for ISPs in 2015 while former President Barack Obama was in office. These regulations prohibited service providers from deliberately increasing or decreasing internet speed in response to business objectives or the popularity of a website. The rules were designed to shield smaller internet players and consumers from unscrupulous business practices.
During the first term of President Donald Trump, several regulations were eliminated. The FCC shook off net neutrality safeguards in 2017. It also gave up authority over broadband, letting individual states handle most of the regulation. In order to uphold the values of the open internet, states, such as California, New York and Washington, passed their own legislation. This resulted in a patchwork of regulations across the country.
Then, during the Joe Biden administration, efforts to reinstate net neutrality persisted. The Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act was introduced in July 2022. The legislation attempted to categorise broadband as a telecommunications service. As a result, the FCC was able to resume enforcing net neutrality regulations.
The FCC reinstated net neutrality protections in April 2024. But in August 2024, a federal appeals court granted a temporary halt at the request of an ISP trade group. The last blow then came in January 2025. The court declared that the government lacked the power to regulate internet companies as utilities and overturned the federal regulations. The continuous back and forth between administrations was noted by the court as proof of regulatory ambiguity.
What Net Neutrality Means For Americans In 2025
After federal net neutrality regulations were overturned, Americans’ internet experiences now mostly depend on their location and service provider. ISPs are not allowed to slow down traffic or censor material in states like California, New York and Washington. These states have upheld their own net neutrality regulations. People in these states have a more uniform and fair internet experience.
In states without specific net neutrality protections, ISPs have more freedom to experiment with throttling, prioritisation or premium services. Smaller websites and independent platforms may experience slower access. Similarly, larger companies could benefit from preferential treatment.
ISPs are able to offer tiered or premium services since there are no government regulations. Though some users might find these options appealing, they risk fragmenting the internet and reducing equal access for people.
As a result, net neutrality in the US is now a state-by-state matter instead of a nationwide requirement. These days, the online experiences of users differ based on provider policies and local laws. Depending on their ZIP code, many people’s access to fair and high-quality internet differs significantly.
Debate Over Net Neutrality
Those in support of net neutrality say that it is necessary to keep the internet free and competitive. According to them, like electricity or water services, broadband providers need to be regarded as public utilities. As such, these services must not discriminate against their clients. They claim that net neutrality enables independent content producers, start-ups and small enterprises to fairly compete with the big names in tech.
Conservative think tanks, some hardware manufacturers and many telecom companies are among the critics. They have long claimed that innovation and investment are hampered by net neutrality. They say that making ISPs handle all traffic equally lessens their motivation to build new infrastructure and provide superior services.
This debate has made net neutrality a polarising technology policy issue in the United States.
The Road Ahead
There is still uncertainty regarding the future of net neutrality in the US. The FCC’s attempts to reinstate protections are being thwarted by federal courts. So, Congress may eventually have to take the lead. Until then, Americans will still have to deal with an unequal internet environment where access and speeds might differ significantly between states.