Goodbye, net neutrality—Ajit Pai’s FCC votes to allow blocking and throttling (Ars Technica)

In a vote that was not any kind of surprise, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to end the "net neutrality" rules that stop internet service providers (ISPs) and others from blocking or throttling certain kinds of traffic to try to force consumers and content providers to pay more for "fast lanes". Ars Technica covers the vote and the reaction to it, including the fact that the fight is not yet over: "Plenty of organizations might appeal, said consumer advocate Gigi Sohn, who was a top counselor to then-FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler when the commission imposed its rules.'I think you'll see public interest groups, trade associations, and small and mid-sized tech companies filing the petitions for review,' Sohn told Ars. One or two 'big companies' could also challenge the repeal, she thinks.Lawsuit filers can challenge the repeal on numerous respects, she said. They can argue that the public record doesn't support the FCC's claim that broadband isn't a telecommunications service, that 'throwing away all protections for consumers and innovators for the first time since this issue has been debated is arbitrary and capricious,' and that the FCC cannot preempt state net neutrality laws, she said."