Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed House Bill 2282 into law yesterday, which will protect the state’s residents from the Federal Communication Commission’s decision to repeal net neutrality last year.
This is notable for developers who publish their games through services like Steam or Itch.io, as the future of back-end online services, cloud development services, and online based games are affected by net neutrality being dissolved.
The FCC voted last month to dissolve net neutrality starting on April 23. As it currently stands, net neutrality makes sure that internet providers can’t block or limit access to content by offering paid workarounds.
As reported by Engadget, the bill requires that providers selling broadband internet access must publicly disclose how they run their network, which means putting things like network management practices on a “publicly available, easily accessible” site.
Washington is the first state to pass a bill which protects net neutrality. It will take effect in 90 days, or whenever the FCC’s Restoring Internet Freedom order takes effect.
Some states may follow with similar executive orders when it comes to dealing with the unpopular decision to repeal net neutrality, and ensure that internet service providers won’t be able to give preferential treatment to specific companies or websites.
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2018