Twenty-two state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the FCC to block the agency from repealing the 2015 Net Neutrality changes. A coalition led by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.
The FCC voted last month to jettison the Tom Wheeler-led agency rules that governed how internet service providers handle web traffic, sparking a backlash so intense there have been death threats against now Chairman Ajit Pai. The current rules banned ISPs from blocking or throttling traffic from competitors or creating fast lanes for those willing to pay more for better speed.
Pai argued the rules were too much and the Federal Trade Commission should have its oversight powers restored. The current proposal to be voted on January 30 relies more on ISPs to be transparent about their web traffic methods.
“The repeal of net neutrality would turn internet service providers into gatekeepers – allowing them to put profits over consumers while controlling what we see, what we do, and what we say online,” said Schneiderman in a statement. The coalition of state attorneys general argued the FCC’s proposal is “arbitrary and capricious.” States joining New York in the lawsuit include California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia.
The lawsuit came on the same day that Senate Democrats announced they need just one more Republican to support legislation to block the Net Neutrality repeal and send it to the House. It’s not likely to pass the House, reports The Hill, however Democrats want to use it as leverage in the upcoming midterm elections.
January 18, 2018
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