To begin with, your ISP can't block or slow down any internet traffic "except where necessary," such as when the network is bogging down or a legal order requires it. They also can't exempt services from data caps in situations where service is either blocked or throttled at the limit, and even caps with overages may be a concern if officials believe the exemptions are sincerely anti-competitive.

And those fears that providers would be allowed to prioritize what they want as "specialized services?" They're somewhat overblown. The guidelines note that these would be services on networks that aren't connected to the internet, such as some forms of linear IPTV, remote surgery and voice calls over LTE.

This doesn't mean that net neutrality regulation is now airtight. Will ISPs try to cheat in subtler ways, such as exempting just enough from caps to avoid raising alarm bells? Even if they do, though, it's clear that the EU isn't implementing a "net neutrality lite" that can easily be defeated.