New Jersey has joined Montana and New York in requiring that internet service providers adhere to net neutrality principles.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy this week signed Executive Order No. 9 (PDF), which says that any ISP wishing to do business with the state government must abide by rules that maintain a free and open internet. Internet providers that don’t refrain from blocking, throttling, or paid prioritization will not be able to contract with the state government.
Murphy’s Executive Order follows the FCC’s decision last year to repeal existing net neutrality rules that specifically prevent broadband companies from certain behaviors.
“We may not agree with everything we see online, but that does not give us a justifiable reason to block the free, uninterrupted, and indiscriminate flow of information,” said Murphy. “It certainly doesn’t give certain companies or individuals a right to pay their way to the front of the line. While New Jersey cannot unilaterally regulate net neutrality back into law or cement it as a state regulation, we can exercise our power as a consumer to make our preferences known.”
The Executive Order will go into effect July 1, 2018.
