Making abundantly clear that they will “stop at nothing to destroy net neutrality for good,” four telecom lobbying groups representing the nation’s most powerful internet providers and cable companies sued California on Wednesday to stop the state’s gold standard open internet legislation from taking effect.

“It’s no surprise that they’re suing, but it does make it even more blatant and clear that Jeff Sessions and Ajit Pai are working directly on behalf of Big Cable in trying to block basic consumer protection legislation.”
—Evan Greer, Fight for the Future

“Big telecom companies hate the California net neutrality bill because it prevents them from screwing over their customers more than they already do,” Evan Greer, deputy director of Fight for the Future, said in a statement. “It’s no surprise that they’re suing, but it does make it even more blatant and clear that Jeff Sessions and Ajit Pai are working directly on behalf of Big Cable in trying to block basic consumer protection legislation that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.”

“No one wants their cable company to be able to charge extra fees or control what websites they visit and what apps they use,” Greer added.

Incensed by SB 822’s strong protections against throttling and exorbitant fees, the industry groups behind the lawsuit argued in a statement that the “nation’s broadband providers are the innovation engine of America’s digital economy” and attacked California’s widely praised bill as “a classic example of unconstitutional state regulation.”