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Biggest Case This Year: Three Judges to Rule on How Internet Works
Next week, a federal appeals court in Washington will hear one of its biggest cases of the year, one whose outcome will directly affect how Internet providers can alter your experience online.
At stake are the government’s net neutrality rules banning telecom and cable companies from unfairly discriminating against new or potential rivals. Using their power in the marketplace to control what services consumers can access from their smartphones, tablets and PCs, Internet providers could be granted more latitude to favor preferred Web sites — if the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit says so.
Three judges from the D.C. Circuit have been named to hear the oral argument on Dec. 4. Much like the Supreme Court, the very makeup of this panel could subtly shape the course of events. What do we know about the judges? Are they familiar with the issues? How might they vote? Below, get briefly acquainted with each one ahead of the big day.
Sri Srinivasan
Judge Sri Srinivasan is a relative newcomer to the court, having been appointed by President Obama in 2013. His views on net neutrality and technology aren’t clear, making him a bit of an enigma. But we do know this much: He’s said to be a rising star. Srinivasan is reportedly on the Democratic Party’s shortlist for Supreme Court nominees.
Getting there certainly wasn’t easy. While under consideration for the D.C. Circuit post, some liberals attempted to torpedo Srinivasan’s nomination because of his past jobs. He’d previously been a legal assistant to the Bush administration and has represented clients such as Exxon on human-rights issues. Here’s howMother Jones described him in 2013:
At a time when Republican obstruction has ground the confirmation process to a halt, and the outspoken progressivism — or even mild progressivism — of prior Obama nominees has run into GOP filibusters, Srinivasan’s unclear record offers Republicans few legitimate reasons to block him.
