Meta Platforms is suing Italy’s communications regulator, Agcom, after reclassifying content delivery networks (CDNs) as electronic communication networks – a decree that would bring Meta’s own edge servers under the same legal category as ISPs. This is a flagrant example of a national-level attempt to stealthily revive the “fair share” network proposal. In reskinning CDNs, Italy has pulled off a workaround to achieve a similar outcome to “fair share” networks, whereby Big Tech companies like Meta, Google and Netflix are mandated to pay ISPs for the high volumes of video traffic clogging up networks. The reclassification would therefore mean CDNs would be forced to indirectly pay telecom fees. While Meta would not be billed wholly by ISPs, it would be…