In the USA, the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Restoring Internet Freedom Order take effect officially on 11 June 2018, repealing the 2015 net neutrality order and restoring the classification of broadband Internet access service as a lightly-regulated information service. New rules make it possible that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) slow, block or offer “paid prioritisation” to some websites or applications as long as they disclose the practices. In its press release, FCC says that the new rules ‘will protect the open Internet that consumers cherish while paving the way for better, faster, cheaper Internet access’. Also, it argues that ‘the FCC is returning to the successful, bipartisan framework that helped the Internet grow and flourish for two decades prior to 2015.’ A number of US states are putting in place net neutrality rules to require ISPs to treat data equally when operating in their regions. Earlier this year the US Senate has voted in favour of overturning the FCC decision to repeal net neutrality rules but the decision is pending before the House of Representatives that have to vote in line with the Senate, and President Donald Trump would also have to sign the measure to restore the old FCC rules.

Originally published at GIP Digital Watch