12 Days of Broadband
Universal Service Fund Survived, Faces New Legal and Political Challenges
A follow-on legal case about the USF resumed on Wednesday, Dec. 3, in the Fifth Circuit.
Democracy
Supreme Court Allows Trump to Remove FTC Democrat
The decision sets the stage for a fight over precedent.
Free Speech
Supreme Court Upholds Texas Law Aimed at Blocking Kids from Seeing Pornography Online
Article about Supreme Court decision includes explainer about age verification laws generally
Supreme Court
Supreme Court Upholds Universal Service Fund, 6-3
The court said the contribution scheme and management were Constitutional.
Robocall
Supreme Court Finds District Judges Can Review Agency Rules
The telecom industry had urged justices against the move, saying it would introduce regulatory uncertainty.
DC Circuit
Supreme Court Greenlights Trump Firings of Independent Agency Officials
Emergency stay allows President to remove NLRB, MSPB members without cause
Expert Opinion
Randy May: If the President Can Fire FCC Commissioners, Should the Agency Be Restructured?
In a world in which commissioners may be dismissed at the will of a president, the notion of agency independence, as conventionally understood, no longer holds.
Benton
Lawyers Backing FCC Cautiously Optimistic Ahead of Supreme Court USF Case Showdown
Telecom companies, public interest groups, and both the Biden and Trump administrations are united in the fight over the FCC’s Universal Service Fund.
USF
SCOTUS: False Claims Act Applies to E-Rate
But the justices didn't rule on the question of whether all E-Rate funds are government cash.
Expert Opinion
After NetChoice, Internet Companies Face Hard Work in Court
Because the states live on to fight for another day, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody also declared victory
Social Media
Supreme Court Sends Back Challenges to State Social Media Laws
Justices did not rule on the merits of the cases, but made clear they think the laws were unlikely to survive.
Randy May
Supreme Court Curbs Power of Regulatory Agencies Like FCC
The decision could have a big impact on two pending cases involving the Federal Communications Commission, including net neutrality.
Samuel Alito
Supreme Court Skeptical Of Texas, Florida Social Media Content Moderation Laws
Justices Roberts, Kavanaugh and Barrett seemed skeptical of the constitutionality of the Florida and Texas laws.
Social Media
Supreme Court Considers Liability for Twitter Not Removing Terrorist Content
Many of the arguments in Twitter v. Taamneh hinged on specific interpretations of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Section 230
Supreme Court Justices Express Caution About Entering Section 230 Debate
During oral arguments for Gonzalez v. Google, justices repeatedly voiced concerns about potential unintended consequences.
