--- title: "A Biden Administration Would Be Likely to Reinstate Net Neutrality" description: "A new Federal Communications Commission under Joe Biden is likely to revive net neutrality, according to experts. Others are not so sure." date: "2020-11-05" modified: "2020-11-05" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/joe-biden-administration-net-neutrality" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "fcc" - "isps" - "joe biden" - "Net Neutrality" - "the digest" --- # A Biden Administration Would Be Likely to Reinstate Net Neutrality ![A new Federal Communications Commission under Joe Biden is likely to revive net neutrality, according to experts. Others are not so sure.]() *\Image: Gage Skidmore\* ## Revive It While it's still too early to call this year's U.S. presidential elections, [*Adweek* reports]() that leading candidate Joe Biden is likely to revive net neutrality, the principle that internet service providers (ISPs) have to treat all internet communications equally. The Trump administration's FCC, in contrast, repealed net neutrality in April 2017, returning ISPs to a classification in which they faced fewer regulations and were no longer considered "common carrier." Berin Szóka, founder of think tank TechFreedom, told *Adweek* that "even a centrist FCC chair would face overwhelming activist pressure to revive" net neutrality classifications. Biden's campaign platform specifically calls for a return to Obama-era net neutrality rules — when Biden was serving the role of vice president, as [*Bloomberg* reports](). ## Or Not Others are less certain, though, that a Biden FCC would actually tackle the issue. "Biden has moved on from yesterday’s net neutrality battles and will seek a new Communications Act that addresses the booming communications sector," Brent Skorup, a senior research fellow at free market think tank Mercatus Center, told *Adweek*. In fact, Biden's Democratic opponents Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who have since stepped out of the race, expressed strong support for net neutrality. Biden has not, as [*CNET* pointed out]() in September. "As Barack Obama's vice president, Joe Biden was proud to push for net neutrality and see the FCC take direct action to keep the internet open and free for all Americans," a spokesperson for Biden's campaign told *CNET* at the time. **READ MORE:** [What to Expect: How a Biden Administration Would Tackle Tech Policy]() \[*Adweek*\] **More on net neutrality:** *[The FCC Just Killed Net Neutrality]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()