Senate Democrats have also been pushing for a special congressional vote to block regulations from going into effect, but have so far been one vote short of overcoming the Republican majority. A similar vote would also face a very high hurdle in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
The pushback follows the December vote by the Republican-led FCC to repeal Obama-era net neutrality rules, which limit the power of Internet service providers to influence loading speeds for specific websites or apps. The repeal can't take effect until the Office of Management and Budget completes a review of the change.
As NPR has reported, "the rules, put in place in 2015, banned cable and telecom companies from blocking or slowing down any websites or apps. They also prohibited broadband providers from striking special deals that would give some websites or apps 'priority' over others."
The FCC's repeal will allow both blocking and throttling by Internet providers, leaving one requirement intact: that broadband companies — such as Comcast, Verizon and AT&T — have to disclose to users how they handle web traffic. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has said the Federal Trade Commission should then police violations. The FTC does not pre-emptively regulate them.
