California Attorney General Sues FCC Over Net Neutrality Ruling

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - California State Attorney General Xavier Becerra is suing the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over its decision to repeal US net neutrality rules, the attorney general's office said in a press release.

"Becerra today announced a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), challenging its attempt to repeal net neutrality rules," the release said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the attorney generals of 20 other US states and the District of Colombia joined California in filing the new law suit.

"Internet access is a utility… Every consumer has a right to access online content without interference or manipulation by their internet… provider… [I]n repealing the net neutrality rules, the FCC ignored consumers' strong support for a free and open internet," Becerra said in the release.

Net neutrality allows consumers to access online content without any interference by an internet service provider. Without these rules, internet service providers may limit consumers' ability to access the internet content of their choice, the release said.

In 2015, the FCC enacted the Open Internet Order, which mandated equal treatment of internet traffic and promoted competition and innovation online. However, the FCC, now led by Trump's appointee Ajit Pai, has decided to repeal these rules, the release said.