SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Demonstrators rally outside the Federal Communication Commission building to protest against the end of net neutrality rules December 14, 2017 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Nearly Two Dozen State AGs File Suit to Block FCC's 'Illegal' Net Neutrality Rollback
"Consumers and businesses across the country have the right to a free and open internet, and our coalition of attorneys general won't stop fighting to protect that right."
Feb 23, 2018
Adding to the flood of opposition sparked by the publication of FCC chair Ajit Pai's net neutrality repeal plan in the Federal Register on Thursday, 22 state attorneys general and the District of Columbia officially filed suit against the Republican-controlled agency over its "illegal" attack on the open internet in a bid to prevent Pai's telecom-friendly rule from going to effect.
"Repealing net neutrality will allow internet service providers to put corporate profits over consumers by controlling what we see, do, and say online."
--Eric Schneiderman, New York attorney general
"An open internet, and the free exchange of ideas it allows, is critical to our democratic process," said New York AG Eric Schneiderman, who spearheaded the legal challenge. "Repealing net neutrality will allow internet service providers to put corporate profits over consumers by controlling what we see, do, and say online."
Other states that have joined New York in suing the FCC include California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, and Maryland. The 23 AGs initially filed suit last month, but then decided to withdraw their challenge until Pai's plan officially entered the Federal Register.
"Consumers and businesses in New York and across the country have the right to a free and open internet, and our coalition of attorneys general won't stop fighting to protect that right," Schneiderman declared.
In addition to legal challenges filed by states, private companies, and advocacy groups, internet defenders have also scheduled an internet-wide demonstration next week aimed at pressuring lawmakers to pass Sen. Ed Markey's (D-Mass.) Congressional Review Act resolution that would negate Pai's deeply unpopular rule.
Unveiled shortly after the FCC's vote to kill net neutrality in December, Markey's CRA needs just one more vote to reach the simple majority required to pass the Senate. If it passes the Senate, the measure will need 218 votes in the House to proceed to President Donald Trump's desk.
"Momentum keeps growing in favor of restoring Title II protections, and against this FCC and its unjustified attack on internet users," Matt Wood, policy director at Free Press, said in a statement on Thursday. "Millions of people have spoken out because they recognize how crucial the open internet is to fighting for racial justice, preserving free expression, and promoting innovation and economic opportunity."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Adding to the flood of opposition sparked by the publication of FCC chair Ajit Pai's net neutrality repeal plan in the Federal Register on Thursday, 22 state attorneys general and the District of Columbia officially filed suit against the Republican-controlled agency over its "illegal" attack on the open internet in a bid to prevent Pai's telecom-friendly rule from going to effect.
"Repealing net neutrality will allow internet service providers to put corporate profits over consumers by controlling what we see, do, and say online."
--Eric Schneiderman, New York attorney general
"An open internet, and the free exchange of ideas it allows, is critical to our democratic process," said New York AG Eric Schneiderman, who spearheaded the legal challenge. "Repealing net neutrality will allow internet service providers to put corporate profits over consumers by controlling what we see, do, and say online."
Other states that have joined New York in suing the FCC include California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, and Maryland. The 23 AGs initially filed suit last month, but then decided to withdraw their challenge until Pai's plan officially entered the Federal Register.
"Consumers and businesses in New York and across the country have the right to a free and open internet, and our coalition of attorneys general won't stop fighting to protect that right," Schneiderman declared.
In addition to legal challenges filed by states, private companies, and advocacy groups, internet defenders have also scheduled an internet-wide demonstration next week aimed at pressuring lawmakers to pass Sen. Ed Markey's (D-Mass.) Congressional Review Act resolution that would negate Pai's deeply unpopular rule.
Unveiled shortly after the FCC's vote to kill net neutrality in December, Markey's CRA needs just one more vote to reach the simple majority required to pass the Senate. If it passes the Senate, the measure will need 218 votes in the House to proceed to President Donald Trump's desk.
"Momentum keeps growing in favor of restoring Title II protections, and against this FCC and its unjustified attack on internet users," Matt Wood, policy director at Free Press, said in a statement on Thursday. "Millions of people have spoken out because they recognize how crucial the open internet is to fighting for racial justice, preserving free expression, and promoting innovation and economic opportunity."
Adding to the flood of opposition sparked by the publication of FCC chair Ajit Pai's net neutrality repeal plan in the Federal Register on Thursday, 22 state attorneys general and the District of Columbia officially filed suit against the Republican-controlled agency over its "illegal" attack on the open internet in a bid to prevent Pai's telecom-friendly rule from going to effect.
"Repealing net neutrality will allow internet service providers to put corporate profits over consumers by controlling what we see, do, and say online."
--Eric Schneiderman, New York attorney general
"An open internet, and the free exchange of ideas it allows, is critical to our democratic process," said New York AG Eric Schneiderman, who spearheaded the legal challenge. "Repealing net neutrality will allow internet service providers to put corporate profits over consumers by controlling what we see, do, and say online."
Other states that have joined New York in suing the FCC include California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, and Maryland. The 23 AGs initially filed suit last month, but then decided to withdraw their challenge until Pai's plan officially entered the Federal Register.
"Consumers and businesses in New York and across the country have the right to a free and open internet, and our coalition of attorneys general won't stop fighting to protect that right," Schneiderman declared.
In addition to legal challenges filed by states, private companies, and advocacy groups, internet defenders have also scheduled an internet-wide demonstration next week aimed at pressuring lawmakers to pass Sen. Ed Markey's (D-Mass.) Congressional Review Act resolution that would negate Pai's deeply unpopular rule.
Unveiled shortly after the FCC's vote to kill net neutrality in December, Markey's CRA needs just one more vote to reach the simple majority required to pass the Senate. If it passes the Senate, the measure will need 218 votes in the House to proceed to President Donald Trump's desk.
"Momentum keeps growing in favor of restoring Title II protections, and against this FCC and its unjustified attack on internet users," Matt Wood, policy director at Free Press, said in a statement on Thursday. "Millions of people have spoken out because they recognize how crucial the open internet is to fighting for racial justice, preserving free expression, and promoting innovation and economic opportunity."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.