Washington Net Neutrality Bill Signed Into Law; First State to Shield 'Open Internet,' Inslee Says

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signed into law a bill to uphold net neutrality. "Washington will be the first state ... to preserve the open internet,” Inslee said during a signing ceremony. The FCC, which has said it will pre-empt state actions that are inconsistent with its deregulatory broadband framework, didn't comment Tuesday. The Washington Senate recently passed the House-approved HB-2282 to restore the net neutrality protections the FCC reversed (see 1802280027). "The law will prohibit companies that offer internet services from blocking legal content, applications, services or nonharmful devices. It will prohibit them from impairing -- or throttling -- internet traffic based on the content internet users consume, or the apps, services and devices they use," said a release Monday: "It will prohibit them from favoring certain traffic for the company’s own benefit" (paid prioritization).