United in-flight Wi-Fi reportedly blocks Ars Technica and New York Times

United Airlines' in-flight Wi-Fi service reserves the right to block any website the company deems "inappropriate or unsuitable for in-flight viewing", which includes Ars Technica, The New York Times and some other news sites. Electronic Frontier Foundation staff attorney Nate Cardozo said that he was unable to open any of these sites on United's in-flight Wi-Fi. "Access to this site is currently restricted" is the message Cardozo got when he navigated to Ars, the Times, The Verge, and Daily Kos. United's in-flight Wi-Fi FAQ says the company "does not allow customers to access certain websites that may be inappropriate or unsuitable for inflight viewing," but it doesn't say what guidelines it uses to judge such matters.

United also doesn't support video streaming, a common rule on in-flight Wi-Fi because of bandwidth limitations. There are no legal concerns regarding net neutrality, since the Federal Communications Commission's rules exempt airlines and other premises operators.