Attorneys general file lawsuit over rollback of net neutrality rules

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and 22 other attorneys general on Feb. 22 filed a multi-state lawsuit to block what they see as the Federal Communications Commission’s, FCC, illegal rollback of net neutrality rules.

Madigan said in a news release that the legal action came after the FCC officially published its “so-called Restoring Internet Freedom Order, effectively killing net neutrality on April 23.”

The attorneys general re-filed their petition in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit against the FCC and the federal government.

The lawsuit was filed after the FCC moved to dismiss a protective petition previously filed by the states on Jan. 16.

Madigan said the repeal of net neutrality would have dire consequences for consumers and businesses in Illinois and across the country that rely on a free and open internet, allowing internet service providers to block and slow the quality of certain content and charge consumers to access certain sites.

In December 2017, Madigan and a coalition of attorneys general urged the FCC to delay its vote in light of widespread reports that millions of comments regarding net neutrality were submitted under fraudulent or stolen identities. 

Madigan and the coalition stressed the importance of public participation and encouraged the FCC to cooperate with investigations by law enforcement agencies. 

Madigan also called on the FBI to investigate the sources of the fraudulent comments.

The Gazette-Democrat

112 Lafayette St.
Anna, Illinois 62906
Office Number: (618) 833-2158
Email: news@annanews.com

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