5:15 p.m.
California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed the nation’s toughest net neutrality measure that requires internet providers to maintain a level playing field online.
Advocates of net neutrality hope the move Sunday will nudge Congress to enact a national standard or encourage other states to follow suit.
It’s the latest example of the nation’s most populous state seeking to drive public policy outside its borders and rebuff President Donald Trump’s agenda.
The Federal Communications Commission last year repealed rules preventing internet companies from exercising more control over what people watch and see on the internet.
Telecommunications companies oppose California’s measure and are likely to challenge it in court. They say it will lead to higher internet and cellphone prices and discourage investments in faster internet.
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And one hour later:
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6:10 p.m.
The Trump administration has sued California over a new law imposing net neutrality protections.
The lawsuit filed Sunday by the U.S. Department of Justice came roughly an hour after Gov. Jerry Brown signed the law.
The Federal Communications Commission last year repealed rules preventing internet companies from exercising more control over what people watch and see on the internet.
California’s law seeks to reinstate those rules.
The lawsuit argues that California’s approach is “unlawful and anti-consumer” because it imposes burdensome regulations on the Internet and goes against the federal government’s approach.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he will defend the federal government’s position.
h/t ArgleBargle