House lawmakers passed the Save the Internet Act Wednesday, in a victory for digital rights advocates who have been fighting to restore Obama-era net neutrality rules that were gutted by the Trump administration. The legislation would bar telecom companies from blocking, throttling or otherwise interfering with internet access according to how much customers pay—or based on the websites they favor.
In a statement following Wednesday’s vote, internet freedom group Free Press said, “The energy behind this bill came from the grassroots, not big companies, but there were plenty of industry lobbyists trying to sink it. The overwhelming show of support for the Save the Internet Act proves how important and popular Net Neutrality has become.”
Despite widespread public support, the bill now faces a tough battle in the majority-Republican Senate, where Leader Mitch McConnell earlier threatened to block voting on the act.