[ad_1]
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department on Sunday sued California to stop the new state law that would guarantee equal and equal access to the Internet, a principle known as network neutrality, in the latest legal battle between the state and the Trump administration.
The complaint was filed shortly after Governor Jerry Brown signed the Net Neutrality Bill. The law is one of the country's most important efforts to restore the rules of Internet access since their cancellation by the Federal Communications Commission last year. Governor Brown, a Democratic, strongly opposed many of the President's actions, including immigration and environmental deregulation.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the California Net Neutrality Law was illegal because Congress, through the BCF, had the exclusive power to create rules for broadband Internet service providers.
"States do not regulate interstate commerce – the federal government does it," Sessions said in a statement. "Once again, the California legislature has enacted an extreme and illegal state law aimed at defeating federal policy."
California law has placed the state as a standard-bearer for Internet regulation, and it follows the creation of an Internet network. law on the protection of privacy in June. Like California auto emission laws, which required manufacturers to adopt standards for all production, the new rules of network neutrality could push broadband providers to apply the same rules to others. States.
Xavier Becerra, California Attorney General, said the state would defend its new law.
California "will not allow a handful of power brokers to dictate sources of information or the speed at which websites are loading," said Mr. Becerra. "We remain deeply committed to the protection of freedom of expression, innovation and fairness."
The prosecution of the Department of Justice was initiated in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California.
The debate over the neutrality of the internet has created a cluttered legal battleground. Mr. Becerra is also one of the 20 Attorneys General of the states who have filed a lawsuit against the federal return of the rules. Many broadband providers should sue states that enforce new rules, including California.
The California Network Neutrality Act prohibits carriers such as AT & T and Comcast from blocking or slowing the provision of Internet traffic to broadband customers. The law goes further than the rules that the Trump administration has eliminated, also banning promotions known as "zero scoring," which allow unlimited streaming of some sites for free but pay for others.
The law aims to protect consumers from attempts by telecom companies to charge extra or remove access to certain websites. The legislation also aims to protect start-ups that could not compete with larger websites, which team up with telecom companies for greater exposure to Internet users.
Scott Wiener, state senator, author of the state bill, defended the law after the announcement of the lawsuit.
"In their world, no one is allowed to protect an open Internet," he said. "We were already on this track: when Trump and Sessions sued California and claimed we did not have the power to protect immigrants. California has been battling Trump and Sessions for their immigration lawsuit – California won – and California will also fight this lawsuit.
F.C.C. adopted the rules of internet neutrality in 2015 with the support of President Barack Obama. But the F.C.C. President Trump's president, Ajit Pai, argued that the rules were not necessary, saying there were not enough examples of harm to justify rules on broadband providers. Some promotions, such as zero rating, in which a company like Verizon can offer Hulu free delivery, but not Netflix, could be beneficial to consumers, he said.
"The Internet is free and open today, and it will continue to be protected from light," Pai said in a statement supporting the lawsuit.
Since the F.C.C. Last December, four states, including California, passed their own Internet neutrality laws. F.C.C. argued that states are not allowed to create new rules. But state legislators and consumer groups have said they are prepared to defend themselves against any lawsuit.
"When CF.C. has chosen to ignore the millions of consumers who have urged them not to repeal the protections of network neutrality last year, leaving a void that state legislators are rightfully fulfilling, "said Jonathan Schwantes , Senior Policy Advisor of Consumers Union.
Schwantes said the California law is particularly important. "With its market power and influence as the country's largest state," he said, "California law sends a strong message to Internet service providers and has the potential to shape the market for across the country. "
California law was to initiate legal action by the telecommunications companies, who said strict rules would increase their costs. They argue that state laws create a difficult regulatory patchwork across the country.
These prosecutions could always happen, even with the action of the Ministry of Justice.
USTelecom, a professional group representing major broadband providers such as Verizon and Charter, has criticized the rules for creating separate rules for California and other states. The group did not answer questions about immediate plans for a lawsuit but several industry officials said that state rules would be likely to be challenged.
"Rather than 50 states offering their own conflicting open Internet solutions, we need the Congress to provide a national framework for the entire Internet ecosystem and solve this problem once and for all," said Jonathan Spalter, president of USTelecom. A declaration.
Katie Benner contributed to the reports.
Source link
