Los Angeles Becomes First US City to Outlaw Digital Discrimination

The city council in Los Angeles (CA) passed a motion banning “digital discrimination,” which is when internet service providers inequitably deploy high-speed internet connections or disproportionately withhold the best deals for their services from racially or socio-economically marginalized neighborhoods.The legislation, authored by Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, expanded the types of discrimination the city could investigate to include digital discrimination. Members of the public will be able to submit complaints alleging digital discrimination, which the city’s Civil, Human Rights and Equity Department will investigate. The department will be required to collect demographic information about the people making complaints and report on any trends. The Bureau of Street Lighting is also tasked with delivering a report on what work the city has done to close the digital divide.