The FCC decision to repeal net neutrality is controversial, but has not yet been officially signed off. However, legal action was expected when the regulator overturned a policy made during Obama’s presidency. Net Neutrality mandated internet service providers to treat all internet data the same. Companies were not allowed to differentiate between content, website, platform, app, user, or equipment. Throttling data would be a simple example of defying net neutrality principles. Most major countries adhere to some form of net neutrality guideline and the United States did since 2015. Mozilla today explained its decision to take the matter to federal courts: “Ending net neutrality could end the internet as we know it. That’s why we are committed to fighting the order. In particular, we filed our petition today because we believe the recent FCC decision violates both federal law as well as harms internet users and innovators. In fact, it really only benefits large Internet Service Providers.” In coordination with its court move, the company is also pushing Congress to fix policies around net neutrality. Interestingly, Mozilla’s legal challenge may actually be void. The FCC said all legal challenges will need to be made within 10 days of the new order brings published in the Federal Register. That has not yet happened, so Mozilla may have to re-file its dispute.
Yahoo Case
The web browser company is also locked into a legal battle with net company Yahoo, with both suing each other. “Recently acquired by Verizon, Yahoo filed a complaint on Dec. 1 in the Superior Court of California. The company says Mozilla breached a contract between the two companies. Mozilla previously used Yahoo as a default browser on the Firefox browser. However, the company recently said it would be using Google from now on. The change was officially introduced last month when the new Firefox Quantum browser was launched.”
