The Department of Justice is withdrawing a lawsuit aimed at blocking California from establishing statewide net neutrality laws after the Federal Communications Commission repealed similar federal laws in 2018.
The FCC’s repeal of net neutrality was controversial at the time, and opposed by Democrats on the commission, including Jessica Rosenworcel, the current acting head of the communications regulator.
“I am pleased that the Department of Justice has withdrawn this lawsuit,” Rosenworcel said in a statement Monday.
“When the FCC, over my objection, rolled back its net neutrality policies, states like California sought to fill the void with their own laws,” she added. “By taking this step, Washington is listening to the American people, who overwhelmingly support an open internet, and is charting a course to once again make net neutrality the law of the land.”
Net neutrality laws prevent internet services providers from discriminating against certain content or data than is transmitted over its networks. After the FCC overturned its rule enforcing net neutrality several states, including California, Colorado, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont and Washington enacted laws of their own.
