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The fight for Net Neutrality isn't over

By - Mechele
29.03.18 06:54 PM
With just weeks to go before the FCC’s repeal of Net Neutrality officially takes effect states, public interest groups, a few internet giants, and even lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, are finding ways to fight back.

Washington became the first state to pass a law enforcing Net Neutrality.  The law prohibits ISPs from paid prioritization and from blocking or slowing down legal sites, services and applications.  Governor Jay Inslee said that the action is based on consumer protection and that the states need to act to keep more protections from being stripped away by the current administration. Oregon has already passed legislation and more than half of the other states including NewYork, California and Maryland are considering laws of their own. Executive orders have been signed in several states and more than 20 lawsuits have been filed by Attorneys General, including the AG of the District of Columbia.  The ACLU is urging cities to build their own public broadband networks and treat them like any other utility. States across the country are refusing to let Net Neutrality go without a serious fight.

Multiple lawsuits have been filed by public interest and advocacy groups including the Free Press, Public Knowledge, and the Open Technology institute. Big name internet companies like Etsy, Kickstarter and Vimeo are also getting in on the litigation while tech giants Alphabet Inc., and Facebook are publicly throwing their considerable weight behind a congressional resolution to reverse the repeal. Meanwhile the decision has finally been made that the US Court of Appeals in DC will hear the consolidated cases against the widely unpopular decision.

The FCC is insisting that this is the only way to a free and open internet without unnecessary regulation.  ISPs are pledging with hands over their hearts that they won’t participate in throttling or paid prioritization schemes.  These statements clearly leave room for them to wiggle out of these promises and there are already documented cases of providers blocking services and applications. Now lobbyists representing big name providers such as AT&T and Verizon are threatening to sue states that enact their own net neutrality rules.

Whatever the eventual outcome of this battle, it is clear that no one is planning to give up any time soon.

Read more here:

Senate’s Net Neutrality Bill Comes As States Move To Oppose FCC’s Repeal

AT&T/Verizon lobbyists to “aggressively” sue states that enact net neutrality
Where the Net Neutrality fight stands

GOP tries to block state net neutrality laws and allow paid prioritization

ACLU urges cities to build public broadband to protect net neutralit