U.S. Judge John Mendez for the Eastern District of California
said in an oral ruling he would not block the law from taking
effect as four telecom and broadband industry groups sought, his
office confirmed. California's 2018 law barred internet service
providers from blocking or throttling traffic, or offering paid
fast lanes.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra applauded the
decision. "The ability of an internet service provider to block,
slow down or speed up content based on a user’s ability to pay
for service degrades the very idea of a competitive marketplace
and the open transfer of information at the core of our
increasingly digital and connected world," he said.
The four industry groups that sued said in a joint statement
they would decide on next steps. "A state-by-state approach to
Internet regulation will confuse consumers and deter network
investment, just as the importance of broadband for all has
never been more apparent," the groups said.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under former
President Barack Obama, a Democrat, adopted net neutrality rules
in 2015. These were overturned in 2017 by the FCC under
President Donald Trump, a Republican. California's legislature
responded by adopting a state law requiring net neutrality in
August 2018.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Justice Department withdrew its
Trump-era legal challenge to the California law after President
Joe Biden, a Democrat, took office.
Supporters of net neutrality argue that the protections ensure a
free and open internet. Broadband and telecoms trade groups
contend their legal basis from the pre-internet era was outdated
and that they would discourage investment.
California had agreed not to enforce the law while legal
proceedings were ongoing.
(Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and
Cynthia Osterman)
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