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Net neutrality gets a victory in California

September 4, 2018

Senate bill SB-822 passed last week, despite intense opposition and lobbying from the broadband industry.

The news: California’s senate voted last Friday to approve the state’s strict net neutrality rules. Since it had already been passed by the state assembly, it now only awaits Governor Jerry Brown’s signature. "We passed the strongest net neutrality standards in the nation," San Francisco Democrat Scott Wiener said in a statement.

What it does: The bill would reinstate many of the previous regulations that were repealed by the Federal Communications Commission last year. Assuming it becomes law, service providers will not be able to slow down or limit access to specific websites or applications.

A nationwide fight: Other places are fighting back on net neutrality as well. Several states, including Washington, have already passed their own laws. On top of that, 22 states and the District of Columbia have filed a motion to revive the national net neutrality rules.

This story first appeared in our daily tech newsletter, The Download. You can sign up here.

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