One year after net neutrality: What you need to know

It's been a year since the Obama-era network neutrality protections, which ensure all internet traffic is treated equally, came off the books. The fight continues as net neutrality activists plan protests June 11 to mark the first anniversary. Senate Democrats are also trying to force a vote on the Save the Internet Act, which the House passed in April. The legislation would restore the Federal Communications Commission's authority to police the internet and would restore the 2015 rules, including a ban on blocking, throttling or paid prioritization.  

• What's going on with the lawsuits? The US Federal Appeals Court for the DC Circuit in Feb heard oral arguments in the case challenging the FCC's repeal of the 2015 rules. Two of the big questions being asked in this lawsuit are whether the FCC had sufficient reason to change the classification of broadband so soon after the 2015 rules were adopted and whether the agency has the right to pre-empt states, like California, from adopting their own net neutrality laws. A decision in the case is expected sometime this summer.
• What happened to California's net neutrality law? The new law was supposed to take effect Jan 1. But last fall, the state struck a deal with the Justice Department to temporarily not enforce the new law until a lawsuit challenging the FCC's repeal of the federal regulations is resolved.
• Does this mean no one is policing the internet? The Federal Trade Commission is the new cop on the beat. It can take action against companies that violate contracts with consumers or that participate in anticompetitive and fraudulent activity. But critics, which include consumer advocates and House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle (D-PA), complain the FTC doesn't have the technical expertise to handle net neutrality complaints.