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The Justice Department announced on Sunday that it had filed a lawsuit against California to block its new law on internet neutrality, just hours after it was signed by Governor Jerry Brown. The lawsuit was first reported by the Washington Post. Senior justice officials told the newspaper that the trial was underway because only the federal government could regulate the neutrality of the internet and that Congress had granted the Federal Communications Commission the power of its own. 39 ensure that states do not write contradictory legislation.
In its announcement, the Justice Department said that by signing the California Senate Bill 822, the state "is attempting to reverse the deregulation approach of the federal government by imposing heavy rules on the free Internet, which is illegal and anti-consumer.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said, "Under the Constitution, states do not regulate interstate commerce – the federal government does. Once again, the California legislature has enacted an extreme and illegal state law aimed at thwarting federal policy. The Department of Justice should not have to spend valuable time and resources to bring this action today, but we have a duty to defend the prerogatives of the federal government and protect our constitutional order. "
This is the latest legal confrontation between the Trump administration and California, the largest blue state.
As part of the Attorney General's sessions, the Department of Justice has already instituted separate lawsuits against California over immigration sanctuary laws and a law aimed at preventing the administration Trump to sell or transfer federal lands to private companies. The Trump administration is also facing the state because of regulations on environmental protection.
Sen. Democrat Scott Wiener introduced the 822 bill in the Senate with the goal of restoring the protections of the neutrality of the Obama era network launched by the FCC last year.
Even though Washington and Oregon have also passed their own network neutrality laws, the outcome of the battle between the federal government and California will have consequences across the country because the new law on the This state's network neutrality is the strictest to date, banning most zero programs. rating, which allows telecoms to offer services from certain providers for free.
As such, it has been the target of fierce lobbying by telecoms like AT & T and Comcast. While FCC President Ajit Pai and the telecoms argue that zero-rating allows them to offer better deals (Pai said today in the Justice Department's statement that they have proved very popular , especially among low-income Americans), according to the Internet. service providers have too much power in forcing users to rely on certain services, stifling consumer options and freedom of information.
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