Nearly one month ago, the Federal Communications Commission repealed net neutrality. One day before its repeal, Rep. Drew Hansen (D-Bainbridge Island) introduced HB 2282, legislation to keep net neutrality in place in Washington state,
“Literally no one except the giant cable companies thinks it is a great idea to let the giant cable companies decide what content you see on the internet, how fast it is downloaded, and how much you pay for it,” said Hansen at a press conference on December 13.
Hansen says the bill serves to protect consumers from:
- Blocking of lawful content by internet service providers
- “Throttling,” or slowing down, of lawful content by internet service providers
- Favoring of certain content over others by internet service providers due to special deals (“paid prioritization”)
The bill "would ensure under the state's consumer protection authority that Washington consumers are still protected by this set of rules," Hansen said.
With a Democratic majority in both the House and Senate, there is a strong possibility the bill could get passed.
Hansen's bill will be discussed by the Technology and Economic Development committee on January 18.
