The state of California recently introduced a powerful and far-reaching Net Neutrality bill of its own, and that bill has now been voted through by Senators, which means that it will have its day on the floor and a chance at becoming the law of the land. Internet service providers, wireless carriers like AT&T, and other elements with a vested interest in keeping the FCC’s repeal of Title II regulations firmly in place did try to fight the bill down, and even proposed a large number of modifications and amendments meant to weaken it or add exceptions to it, but in the end, SB 822 was pushed through to the next stage with “minor modifications”.
The bill holds three basic tenets; internet providers may not implement paid fast lanes, they may not censor lawful content by blocking it or slowing access to it, and in a move unique to California’s iteration of the bill, they cannot accept any kind of consideration or compensation from a website, media provider, or other entity for zero-rating their content. Should this bill become law, wireless carriers in particular may be affected; AT&T and Verizon both zero rate their own video services, which could fall within the purview of the bill, and T-Mobile would have to prove that its Music Freedom and Binge On services do not entitle the company to any favors from the content providers whose content the perks allow customers to enjoy without eating into their data allotment.
This bill’s implications in California alone are immense, but on a nationwide scale, it could set a precedent, start a legislature war, or both. Many states have put forth their own Net Neutrality bills in one shape or another, contending that the FCC does not have the authority to govern whether states can do so. The repeal of Title II Net Neutrality protections was on a federal scale, but the order included a clause meant to keep states from enacting similar measures of their own. A number of entities are poised to sue states that choose to do so. Essentially, a large-scale, nationwide court battle is brewing, and if it happens, it will be between two parties; the FCC and parties with an interest in doing away with Net Neutrality, and the states and internet users who want to see Net Neutrality restored