The California Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee gutted the net neutrality legislation passed by the state Senate. Critics believe that Committee’s chairman caved in to the demands of AT&T and other internet service providers (ISPs).
On Thursday, the Committee eliminated key provisions of Senate Bill 822, which many considers the “gold standard” for states seeking to protect net neutrality. The legislation restores net neutrality protections repealed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Senate Bill 822 prohibits ISPs from blocking or throttling and favoring certain types of content. The legislation also prevents ISPs from engaging in paid prioritization, charging services access fees and economic discrimination. It also prohibits ISPs from engaging in application-specific pricing or zero-rating programs and deceptive marketing practices.
Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, the chairman of the Communications and Conveyance Committee made the amendments to the net neutrality bill.
