Justice Department Continues California Net Neutrality Law: NPR

California Governor Jerry Browns has enacted a law that prevents Internet companies from slowing down or blocking certain content, but the Justice Department quickly took legal action to block its implementation.

State law would guarantee what so-called internet neutrality – rules that had been established under the Obama administration, but that the Federal Commission for Communication-led President Trump had canceled last year.

The Justice Department said the new California law was illegally contrary to federal rules. Lawyer Jeff Sessions said in a statement, "Under the Constitution, states do not regulate interstate commerce – the federal government does it."

He added: "Once again, the California legislature has enacted an extreme and illegal state law aimed at defeating federal policy."

Last year, the FCC rescinded the rules that came into force in 2015 prohibiting cable and telecommunications companies from blocking or slowing down websites and applications.

The backtracking has greatly favored the Internet companies. The broadband companies and FCC board member, Ajit Pai – who was appointed chairman of the board in 2017 – opposed net neutrality in 2015, saying they were preventing investments in broadband companies and innovations.

According to the New York Times, California is one of the strongest laws in terms of Internet neutrality in the country and could set a new standard for other states to follow.

According to the National Conference of State Legislature, Oregon, Vermont and Washington have passed their own laws on internet neutrality and the governors of six states have signed decrees confirming a certain degree of net neutrality. Thirty other states are themselves discussing net neutrality measures.

State of California Senator Scott Wiener, an author of the state's bill, retorted that in his statement, the lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice was only the latest attempt by the state. Administration to block state initiatives.

"We were already on this path: when Trump and Sessions sued Calif and claimed we did not have the power to protect immigrants, California fought Trump and Sessions for their immigration lawsuit, California and its lawsuit . " Wiener said in a report.

Pai issued a statement after California law adopted: "The law prohibits many free data plans, which allow consumers to stream video, music, etc., without any data limitations."

The new law prohibits interconnection charges and provides for a "zero-rating" rule, which means that telecommunications companies would exempt certain applications or services from accounting for the consumer data cap.

"When the FCC chose to ignore the millions of consumers who urged them not to repeal the protections of network neutrality last year, the Consumers Union Consumers Union legislator Time.