AT&T-backed robocalls tell seniors net neutrality raises phone bills by $30

A campaign to stop network neutrality rules in California is targeting senior citizens with robocalls claiming that the rules will raise cell phone bills by $30 a month and slow down their data. The robocalls cite no evidence supporting the claim that net neutrality rules will raise cell phone bills and slow down Internet service. The bill in question would impose net neutrality rules in California that are nearly identical to the ones the Federal Communications Commission had on the books between 2015 and 2018. Since the federal version of the rules did not raise cell phone bills by $30 or slow down Internet speeds, there's no reason to believe that imposing similar rules in California would have that effect. The calls are being made on behalf of the Civil Justice Association of California (CJAC) and the Congress of California Seniors (CCS). CCS is backed by AT&T and Verizon, but it's not clear what CJAC's interest in the bill is. Verizon said that it is not involved in the robocall campaign. The robocall effort comes as the California State Assembly prepares to vote the week of Aug 27 on the state's net neutrality bill. "We're now dealing with a straight-up misinformation campaign on our #NetNeutrality bill, #SB822: industry robo-calls to seniors falsely telling them that protecting net neutrality will increase their phone bills by $30," bill author CA state sen Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) wrote in a tweet. "Scaring seniors w lies about their financial security? Gross."