How the Battle for Net Neutrality Will Continue in 2018

Federal regulators may have opted to toss network neutrality rules in Dec, but opponents of the repeal are looking to extend the fight for a free and open internet well into the new year. One of the most outspoken supporters of net neutrality on Capitol Hill, Sen Ed Markey (D-MA) is spearheading an effort to overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s “misguided and partisan” decision using the Congressional Review Act. The day of the commission’s vote, he announced plans to introduce a joint resolution that would undo the repeal and reinstate open internet rules. Though Sen Markey cannot formally introduce the resolution until 20 days after the order is published in the Federal Register, 28 Democratic Sens have pledged to support the bill so far. Adding one more cosponsor would force a vote on the Senate floor. But Republican lawmakers, who largely favor internet deregulation, are steering clear of the joint resolution and instead offering their own plans to protect net neutrality. The Open Internet Preservation Act, introduced by House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), would bar internet service providers from blocking or slowing legal web traffic, but allow them to charge for faster speeds. While lawmakers battle over net neutrality on Capitol Hill, advocacy organizations and state attorney generals are taking the fight to the courtroom.