The battle for net neutrality was a brutal one a few years ago. Massive protests and significant backlash to the Trump administration’s decision to do away with protections simply weren’t enough to keep the measures in place. Even public opinion, which was strongly in favor of keeping net neutrality laws, couldn’t keep them in place. Fortunately, California quickly put the wheels in motion to set up its own net neutrality protections, and it looks like they are finally going to be enacted. Since 2018, when California enacted its open-internet law, legal battles have significantly slowed its roll out. The previous administration’s Justice Department sued just hours after it became law, and dozens of trade groups have done their best to slow the progress of this largely popular initiative. Fortunately, reason seems to have won the day for now. This decision has the potential to trigger the return of net neutrality across the country. That is, if other states are willing to follow suit. While state-by-state legislation isn’t ideal, the partisan gridlock in the FCC will make it near-impossible to get anything passed. So for now, California’s lead will have to inspire other states to get on board with the open internet plan if they want to keep their services from being slowed down or prioritized. While those against the common sense regulations will tell you that it “stifles innovation,” the reality is that it keeps internet service providers from unfairly leveraging their position as proprietors of — at this point — an undeniably necessary resource. More specifically, net neutrality and open internet policies prevent ISPs from throttling internet speeds in favor of more profitable avenues. In so many words, it makes the internet more like running water or electricity when it comes to how the companies in charge can profit off of it. And if you need a reminder of what unregulated necessary resources looks like, just remember the millions of Texans without power during a winter storm last week.
