California state legislature addresses net neutrality

Home to Silicon Valley and numerous other technology hotbeds, some might say that California was essential in fueling the development of the internet. In the past couple of decades the online world has grown to be a massive industry in relatively little time. In contrast with many other industries, the internet has enjoyed much of its life with little to no governmental regulation. That all changed however when net neutrality came under fire.

While consumers became used to accessing all content at a relatively stable speed regardless of the site visited, that could all change if net neutrality goes away. Instead a new form of commerce may emerge where internet service providers might be able to force companies to compete for delivery speeds, making a hefty profit along the way. No longer would consumers enjoy the same browsing experience that they had.

The state legislature in California has chosen to attempt to challenge this change. According to Forbes, the state senate actually passed a bill, SB 822, that would require the maintenance of net neutrality in essence. In promoting the bill, lawmakers indicated concerns that minority residents or those persons with lower incomes might be disadvantaged if the new rules went into effect.

Unclear is how the state could actually enforce the bill even if it became law. Some believe that it might be an effort to instigate further action in the matter at a federal level. Companies concerned about net neutrality in any way might want to consult with an attorney to understand the issues at hand.