Michael Copps and Robert McDowell talked about the decision by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) doesn’t have authority to regulate how Internet service providers grant access to content. The Verizon v. FCC case focused on the commission’s Open Internet rules, often referred to as net neutrality principles. Within an open or neutral internet, users can access any web content and use any applications without restrictions or varying charges from internet providers based on the type of content or amount of bandwidth required.

Caption
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters after watching people board a repatriation flight bound for Colombia in Panama City on February 3, 2025. (Mark Schiefelbein/AFP via Getty Images)