Net neutrality now has an official expiration date.
The Federal Communications Commission has issued a notice saying it will end existing open Internet rules on June 10. Proponents of the rules, which prevent Internet providers from blocking or slowing websites, are now pinning their hopes on a Congressional vote.
BREAKING: The FCC just confirmed that #NetNeutrality rules will officially end in June unless Congress votes to block the repeal: https://t.co/PHr4LmsjEM
Contact your lawmakers NOW! Https://t.co/S8d0Oyhr5y
— Fight for the Future (@fightfortheftr) May 10, 2018
On Wednesday, May 9th, we officially file the petition to force a vote. If you don’t see your Senators on this list, they need to know how you feel about #NetNeutrality TODAY. My resolution will *fully* restore #NetNeutrality & we only need #OneMoreVote to pass it in the Senate. Pic.twitter.com/743YFCPkqU
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) May 7, 2018
Even if Congress passes a resolution reinstating the rules, however, it would have to be signed by President Donald Trump, who has previously shown an inclination to toss the rules out.
The repeal of net neutrality was supported by telecom providers such as Comcast and Verizon, but opposed by large tech companies, including Google and Facebook. (Several major Websites, including Reddit and Pornhub, have protested the action as well.) The decision, made late last year, prompted several lawsuits.
At the same time, several states, including Washington, Oregon, and California, are proposing—and passing—net neutrality laws of their own, setting them up for a showdown with the FCC.