FCC chief Ajit Pai rails against net neutrality

Consumer advocates had hailed the privacy rules as a watershed development

ederal Communications Commission

The F on Wednesday halted new government rules related to data security from taking effect this week, in a potential prelude to a broader repeal of privacy protections for users of high-speed internet.

After a 2-to-1, party-line vote by the Republican-led commission, Ajit Pai, the chairman, announced that a portion of privacy rules passed in October would be temporarily stayed.

The rules, which were to take effect on Thursday, required high-speed internet providers like AT&T and Comcast to secure their customers’ data against hacking and other unauthorised uses.

Mr. Pai, in a sign that