A multi-state lawsuit was filed against the Federal Communications Commission, which published an order to repeal Net Neutrality. The repeal will go into effect this April. 22 State Attorney General and the District of Columbia are challenging the ruling, with the hope of blocking the repeal.
According to Tech Crunch, the suit is spearheaded by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. Some of the states backing the suit include California, Oregon, North Carolina, Hawaii, and Minnesota. AG Schneiderman released a statement saying the FCC made official its illegal repeal of net neutrality and now our united attorneys general are filing suit.
Schneiderman also said that New York businesses and the public across the country have the right to a free and uncontrolled internet.
The suit also alleges the order violates federal law, including the Constitution of the Communications Act of 1934. Last year, the FCC voted 3-2 to repeal net neutrality, which keeps internet service providers from throttling or charging users for access to certain content on the internet. Along with the attorney generals, major companies including Netflix, Kickstarter and Amazon have publicly shared their disappointment in the FCC's decision. Mozilla executive Denelle Dixon said the FCC's decision hurts internet innovators and users.
According to NPR, the rules established in 2015, prevented cable and internet companies from slowing down websites and apps and banned broadband companies from giving certain websites priority over others.
Broadband companies claim they do not intend to throttle web traffic, claiming it's not in their interest to drive away customers.
It's official. The Federal Register published the @FCC order rolling back #NetNeutrality. But here's what's also official: This misguided decision awoke a sleeping giant--the American public--and we won't stop making a ruckus until internet openness is the law of the land.
— Jessica Rosenworcel (@JRosenworcel) February 22, 2018
Congress now has 60 legislative days to vote on whether they believe the FCC's ruling should be overturned.
A handful of Democratic state legislators are pushing bills that revive net neutrality in their state. FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said the FCC is wrong and deserves to have its decision reviewed and eventually reversed. Congress currently has a Senate bill that can eliminate the December decision but is one Republican vote short of being passed.
It's doubtful it would pass in the House.
Net neutrality supporters say it is necessary for a free and open internet. Senator Ed Markey is in favor of saving net neutrality and has said that without it, inventors, activists, and small business owners are forced to be at the mercy of the major broadband corporations.
