The fight to save net neutrality continues as attorneys gather to counter the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) ruling to reverse the Open Internet Order.
On Tuesday, Jan. 16, a group of 22 attorneys led by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman came together to sue the FCC. The group includes attorneys general from the states of California, New York, Virginia and the District of Columbia, as well as private attorneys from entities like Mozilla and other public interest groups. Separate lawsuits and petitions were filed by the group in the US District Court of Appeals in Washington in defense of the 2015 Obama-era regulation, including lawsuits by the states and Mozilla as well as protective petitions by Mozilla, the Open Technology Institute, and the internet advocacy group Free Press.
This comes just one day after Democrats announced that they have the backing of 50 senators and they would need just one more vote for majority to vote on a Congressional Review Act to reinstate the regulation. However, as CNBC points out, a vote in the House of Representatives would still be needed even if the Democrats prove successful in the Senate. Furthermore, a veto by President Donald Trump is also likely. Overturning a presidential veto requires a 2/3 vote in both chambers.
The FCC voted 3–2 in December to remove the 2015 Open Internet Order which governed the internet service providers and required providers to treat all internet traffic as equal. The success of this ruling means that telecommunication and cable companies will be allowed to charge different rates for activities that use bandwidth at different levels. This also extends to other service providers that work over the internet, such as subscription-based platforms and online service platforms like Netflix, WhatsApp, and other similar services.
