New York governor signs executive order protecting net neutrality in the state

The battle is on for states striving to preserve fair internet usage.

A month after the Federal Communications Commission’s widely criticized decision to essentially kill net neutrality, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is taking action.

Cuomo signed an executive order to protect net neutrality in the state of New York on Wednesday,  making it the second state to enforce such measures.

The order states that the internet is “an essential service that should be available to all New Yorkers” and that the FCC’s decision aligned with corporations’ interests over those of city dwellers.

Cuomo went on to direct New York’s government not to enter into contracts with internet service providers unless those providers are committed to upholding net neutrality rules and keeping equal access to the internet.

“The FCC’s dangerous ruling goes against the core values of our democracy, and New York will do everything in our power to protect net neutrality and the free exchange of ideas,” Cuomo said in a statement on Twitter. 

On Monday, Montana Governor Steve Bullock became the first to enforce state regulations devoted to following net neutrality policies, tweeting, “Montana’s future depends on a free and open internet.”

The state backlash may just be beginning as attorneys general from 22 states — including California, Kentucky, Mississippi, and New York — recently filed a lawsuit over the net neutrality repeal at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.