Congressman Steve Knight plans to write a bill to protect internet users after the Federal Communications Commission repealed net neutrality in a 3-2 vote on Thursday.
The rules were put in place in 2015 by then-President Barack Obama in an effort to make all Internet data equal.
Knight, R-Palmdale, took to social media Thursday to say he would have preferred for the FCC to keep the net neutrality protections in place until Congress could vote on the issue.
“I will seek a legislative solution to protect consumers while also allowing the regulatory flexibility to innovate and invest in a modern Internet infrastructure,” Knight said.
The congressman called FCC Chairman Ajit Pai the night before the vote to share his concern, he said.
“I expressed my firm belief to Chairman Pai that all data on the Internet should be treated equally and existing net neutrality standards should protect consumers and put small businesses that rely on the Internet on a level playing field with larger companies,” Knight wrote.
In a statement soon after their vote, the FCC said their decision would restore “Internet growth, openness and freedom”
“The Commission reversed the FCC’s 2015 heavy-handed utility-style regulation of broadband Internet access service, which imposed substantial costs on the entire Internet ecosystem,” the FCC said in the statement.
