Net neutrality officially ended this week ‘“ now what? | Tech News

AFTER months of public outcry and legal wrangling, a US law controlling the sale of internet access has officially been repealed.

The net neutrality rules, introduced by president Barack Obama in 2015, required internet providers to treat all web content equally. This meant that companies couldn’t pay extra to have their web pages, apps or services load faster, making the internet a level playing field for all.

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But the Federal Communications Commission said the laws were stifling innovation and so voted in December 2017 to repeal them. This change came into effect on 11 June.

FCC commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who voted against the change, released a statement that said: “This is bad news for all of us who rely on an open internet for so many facets of civic and commercial life.”

All may not be lost. Several US states have brought in laws enshrining the principles at a state level. The European Union introduced net neutrality laws in 2016.

This article appeared in print under the headline “US net neutrality is finally dead”