Washington State Passes Net Neutrality Protection

While not directly linked to video games, the issue of net neutrality impacts the gaming world all the same, much in the way it impacts literally every other aspect of the online world. The FCC’s vote to get rid of Net Neutrality protection was a devastating blow to people around the nation (except people who didn’t know better or directly benefited from the decision), and while it has yet to go in effect, it gives the folks at Washington time to fight the measure if they so choose (and that’s a pretty big if). Welp, state governments have already started fighting back.

Specifically, Washington state, well-known for being the home of tech giants such as Microsoft, Nintendo, and more, has officially become the first of the fifty to pass a law that protects net neutrality rights for all Washington residents.

When Net Neutrality vanishes on April 23, there will be nothing stopping internet providers from forcing you to pay extra fees to get around blocks or limitations they arbitrarily place upon online content, so in theory, if you want to watch Netflix but Hulu bribed your ISP, then Netflix will run at a snail’s pace while Hulu runs fine unless you pay for the “Netflix” expansion. However, if you’re in Washington State, ISPs will not be able to legally do that, meaning you’ll have equal access to everything the internet has to offer.

The bill, 2282, was already signed into law by the governor, Jay Inslee, and will go into effect in 90 days. That said, if nothing stops the FCC’s attempt to dismantle net neutrality, it will go into effect the moment it’s dissolved, meaning there won’t be a single day where Washington residents need fear a compromised net.

And with luck, Washington won’t be alone: California, New York, and Massachusetts are also trying to pass similar bills. Here’s hoping they pass just as smoothly.