San Francisco, Calif. – A federal judge has paved the way for California to begin enacting its net neutrality law after ruling against broadband providers.
In the wake of the Federal Communication Commission’s misguided decision to roll back popular net neutrality rules in 2018, state lawmakers in California stepped up to fill the void. Led by state Senator Scott Wiener, the California legislature passed a strong, pro-consumer net neutrality law that was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown in September 2018. But the law has never been enforced, stymied by lawsuits brought by the former administration and large internet service providers.
Jonathan Schwantes, senior policy counsel for Consumer Reports, said, “With this ruling, we hope the law can finally see the light of day in California and begin protecting consumers online immediately. This ruling is a win for both consumers and the open internet. This will hopefully encourage other states to follow California’s lead to explore their own net neutrality laws until the federal government can move forward with a national set of net neutrality rules, either through legislation or regulation.”
Media contact: Cyrus Rassool, cyrus.rassool@consumer.org