08
January 2018
Past Event
Can a Federal Agency Regulate the Internet? The Supreme Court Takes Up Berninger v. FCC

Can a Federal Agency Regulate the Internet? The Supreme Court Takes Up Berninger v. FCC

Past Event
Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
January 08, 2018
08
January 2018
Past Event

1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 400
Washington, DC 20004

Speakers:
Daniel Berninger

Consultant, Founder of VCXC

harold_furchtgott_roth
Harold Furchtgott-Roth

Senior Fellow and Director, Center for the Economics of the Internet

At the Federal Communications Commission’s recent open meeting to vote on government control of the internet, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai required a security detail from the Department of Homeland Security. Midway through the meeting, a bomb threat forced the evacuation of the FCC meeting room, underscoring the extent to which the FCC is understood to exercise sole federal authority over internet regulation. But internet architect Daniel Berninger argues that the FCC’s authority is not as overarching as many presume, and is pressing that argument as lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the FCC first filed in 2015 and scheduled to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. In his complaint, Mr. Berninger asserts that a proper reading of the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the Communication Act of 1934 (as revised by the Telecommunications Act of 1996) delegates no authority over the internet to the FCC.

On January 8th, Hudson Institute hosted Daniel Berninger to discuss FCC authority over the Internet. Mr. Berninger shareed the details of his 20-year journey leading up the Supreme Court challenge. Harold Furchtgott-Roth, Director of Hudson’s Center for the Economics of the Internet, moderated the conversation.

Related Events
02
July 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
After Midnight Hammer: The State of Iran’s Nuclear Program and What’s Next in the Middle East
Featured Speakers:
David Albright
Michael Doran
Maxar satellite imagery collected on June 22 shows extensive damage at the Fordow underground nuclear enrichment complex. (Getty Images)
02
July 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
After Midnight Hammer: The State of Iran’s Nuclear Program and What’s Next in the Middle East

David Albright, one of the leading experts on the Iranian nuclear program, will join  Michael Doran for a fireside chat on the state of Iran’s nuclear ambitions following Operations Rising Lion and Midnight Hammer.

Maxar satellite imagery collected on June 22 shows extensive damage at the Fordow underground nuclear enrichment complex. (Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
David Albright
Michael Doran
07
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Designating the Polisario Front: A Conversation with Rep. Joe Wilson
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Congressman Joe Wilson
U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) speaks during a news conference hosted by members of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus at the Capitol on February 24, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)
07
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Designating the Polisario Front: A Conversation with Rep. Joe Wilson

Michael Doran, director of Hudson’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, will host Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) for a discussion on the strategic benefits of designating the Polisario Front as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).

U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) speaks during a news conference hosted by members of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus at the Capitol on February 24, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Congressman Joe Wilson
09
July 2025
Virtual Event | Invite Only
Israel’s Economic Resilience after October 7: Navigating War and Strategic Pressures
Featured Speakers:
Noach Hacker
Michael Doran
Getty Images
09
July 2025
Virtual Event | Invite Only
Israel’s Economic Resilience after October 7: Navigating War and Strategic Pressures

Noach Hacker, Israel’s minister of economic affairs, will join Hudson’s Michael Doran for a discussion on how Israel has fortified its economic foundations for moments of extreme crisis. 

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Noach Hacker
Michael Doran
11
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Han Kuang Exercise and the Taiwanese Military’s Road to Readiness
Featured Speakers:
RADM Mark Montgomery
Brent Sadler
Bryan Clark
Moderator:
Riley Walters
Getty Images
11
July 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Han Kuang Exercise and the Taiwanese Military’s Road to Readiness

Hudson’s Riley Walters will discuss what to look for during these exercises and what more Taiwan can do to strengthen its defense posture with a panel of military experts.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
RADM Mark Montgomery
Brent Sadler
Bryan Clark
Moderator:
Riley Walters