The Department of Justice on Monday dropped its 2018 case in which it disputes the rules of net neutrality of California, which removed one of the most important roadblocks from the law that prevents it from coming into effect.
In 2017, the Trump Federal Communications Commission voted to end Obama-era Internet regulations banning Internet service providers such as AT&T and Verizon from blocking or blocking traffic and implementing paid highways. The following year, California enacted its own legislation establishing net neutrality rules at the state level. That law was quickly disputed by the Trump-led Justice Department, which argued that California law was preceded by the FCC’s repeal in 2017.
‘I’m glad the Justice Department has withdrawn this case. When the FCC, over my objection, reversed its net neutrality policy, states like California tried to fill the void with their own laws, “Jessica Rosenworcel, the FCC’s acting chairwoman, said in a statement Monday. “Washington is listening to the American people, who overwhelmingly support the open Internet, and choosing a course to make net neutrality the law of the land again.”
California law has yet to come into force due to separate legal challenges, independent of the case of the Department of Justice. According to Reuters, is another challenge against the law brought by industry groups, pending a February 23 trial.
Former FCC chairman Ajit Pai stepped down from the agency last month when President Joe Biden was inaugurated. Rosenworcel is currently chairing the agency in an acting capacity, and it is unclear when Biden will nominate an official replacement for Pai.