Casey Mendoza
FCC Outlines Its New Plan For Net Neutrality
Instead of keeping strong net neutrality rules, the Federal Communications Commission will share enforcement duties with the Federal Trade Commission.
LEARN MOREPosted: 6:25 p.m. EST Dec 14, 2017
The Federal Communications Commission voted to roll back key net neutrality protections, but that doesn't mean net neutrality is going away completely. At least, not yet.
For starters, the new rules haven't gone into effect, and it'll likely take a few months for that to happen. Until then, lawyers, lawmakers and advocacy groups are gearing up to slow the process down.
After the FCC's vote, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced he would lead a multistate lawsuit to stop the rollback of net neutrality.
"We will be filing a claim to preserve protections for New Yorkers and all Americans," Schneiderman said on Twitter. "And I'll be working aggressively to stop the FCC's leadership from doing any further damage to the internet and our economy."
Schneiderman has been investigating fraudulent comments against net neutrality on the FCC's website. His office reports as many as 2 million comments stole real Americans' identities, and because of this, the attorney general had called on the agency to postpone its vote.
The advocacy group Free Press announced Thursday it would also gear up to the sue the FCC. The group's case is based on the FCC's "deeply flawed legal reasoning, willful rejection of evidence that contradicts its preordained conclusions, and absolute disregard for public input."
Outside of the courts, Republican Sen. John Thune is proposing bipartisan net neutrality legislation. His bill suggests amending the Communications Act of 1934 to prevent internet service providers from blocking content, prohibiting devices and prioritizing traffic.
