FCC: Supreme Court ruling bolsters net neutrality defense

A recent Supreme Court ruling undercut Verizon's lawsuit against network neutrality regulations, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) argued in a court filing.

The agency argued that, based on the Supreme Court's ruling this week in Arlington v. FCC, it should be given deference to interpret its own authority, and the appeals court should reject Verizon's lawsuit. In a brief letter to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, the FCC said that the deference standard "clearly applies" to the network neutrality case. Andy Schwartzman, an attorney and supporter of the FCC's rules, said the Supreme Court's decision "gives the FCC a leg up" but that he still expects it to be a "very close case."