NEW YORK — A coalition of 23 attorneys general led by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has filed a petition in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in an attempt to block the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recent rollback of net neutrality.
According to the coalition, consumers across the country would face severe consequences if Internet service providers are allowed to block specific content, slow down the quality of content for those who do not pay higher fees and by charging more for access to certain Internet sites.
“The FCC made official its illegal rollback of net neutrality – and, as promised, our coalition of attorneys general is filing suit,” Schneiderman said in a news release. “An open Internet, and the free exchange of ideas it allows, is critical to our democratic process.
"Repealing net neutrality will allow internet service providers to put corporate profits over consumers by controlling what we see, do, and say online. Consumers and businesses in New York and across the country have the right to a free and open internet, and our coalition of attorneys general won’t stop fighting to protect that right.”
The coalition also includes attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia.