Google, Facebook Take FCC To Court Over Net Neutrality

Internet Association (IA), a lobbying group that represents the likes of Amazon, Facebook, Google and Netflix, is joining a lawsuit against the Federal Communication Commission’s move to get rid of net neutrality.

According to a report in New York Post, Internet Association is joining an existing lawsuit fighting the December vote to rescind net neutrality, which would in essence deregulate the internet. Michael Beckerman, the head of Internet Association, said in the report that rescinding the law “defies the will of a bipartisan majority of Americans and fails to preserve a free and open internet.”

IA is filing an amicus brief in an existing lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and others who are willing to take legal action to prevent the changes.

Supported by Trump-appointed FCC chairman Ajit Pai, the new rules would get rid of the restrictions that kept internet service providers from controlling the speed of online content. There’s also concern that without net neutrality, ISPs could raise the rates for services like Netflix in exchange for higher bandwidth speeds, which would then compel Netflix to pass on the rate hike to its subscribers.

The FCC’s move comes at a time when internet-based apps are growing in popularity, particularly in the entertainment arena. In-app spending jumped 12.3 percent on Monday (Dec. 25), with consumers around the globe spending more money on in-app purchases, subscriptions and premium apps. Spending in mobile games also increased this year.