States refile to block net neutrality repeal

WASHINGTON - Iowa's Attorney General Tom Miller and a coalition of 20 other state attorneys general and the District of Columbia on Thursday refiled legal challenges intended to block the Trump administration's repeal of landmark rules designed to ensure a free and open internet from taking effect.

The Federal Communications Commission officially published its order overturning the net neutrality rules in the Federal Register on Thursday, a procedural step that allows for the filing of legal challenges.

The states, along with Web browser developer Mozilla and video-sharing website Vimeo Inc., had filed petitions preserving their right to sue in January, but agreed to withdraw them last Friday and wait for the FCC's publication.

Those states, along with Iowa, include California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington as well as the District of Columbia.

The Republican-led FCC in December voted 3-2 to overturn 2015 rules barring service providers from blocking, slowing access to or charging more for certain content on the internet.

'Repealing net neutrality will allow internet service providers to put corporate profits over consumers by controlling what we see, do and say online,” said New York's attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, who is leading the coalition.

The attorneys general argue that the FCC cannot make 'arbitrary and capricious” changes to existing policies and that it misinterpreted and disregarded 'critical record evidence on industry practices and harm to consumers and businesses.”

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is confident the order will be upheld, his office said in a statement.