If the Federal Government Won't Protect Net Neutrality, States Should

Care about net neutrality? You should.

It's the simple idea that information is a fundamental right, and access to it should be open and free for all. It is the idea that an internet service company like Comcast or Verizon shouldn't be able to dictate what you do online any more than a phone company should be able to tell you what to talk about with your friends.

In 2015, the Obama Administration approved net neutrality rules that prohibit internet companies from blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization -- "fast lanes" for sites that pay, and slow lanes for everyone else. Adding fast lanes and other methods of network discrimination would limit access to smaller, independent sites and apps that currently rely on the internet to gain visibility, and ensure that only existing internet giants are able to compete for business.

Unfortunately, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) dismantled net neutrality last year, and Congress failed to save it.

But in March 2018, Washington State proved that the fight isn't over by passing the nation's first state net neutrality law. The law will prevent internet service providers from blocking and slowing down content.

Now we need every U.S. state to do the same. Please join in demanding that your state pass net neutrality laws to keep the internet open and free!