News brief

The FTC reinstates net neutrality rules. The Federal Trade Commission on April 25 voted to restore rules that prevent broadband internet providers such as Comcast and Verizon from favoring some sites and apps over others. The move effectively reinstates a net neutrality order the commission first issued in 2015 during the Obama administration. In 2017, under then-President Donald Trump, the FCC repealed those rules. The measure passed on a 3-2 vote split along party lines, with Democratic commissioners in favor and Republicans opposed. Net neutrality effectively requires internet service providers to treat all traffic equally, eliminating any incentive to favor business partners or hobble competitors.

Are consumers harmed by the dominance of tech companies like Amazon, Google, and Facebook? Their market power is stirring renewed antitrust activism, even if the charges against them may be difficult to prove.