BERLIN (AP) — The U.N.'s independent expert on freedom of speech has praised the U.S. Federal Communications Commission for voting to enforce "net neutrality" rules for the broadband industry.

David Kaye says Thursday's decision was "a real victory for freedom of expression and access to information in the United States."

In a statement Friday, Kaye said he hoped the rules preventing U.S. Internet service providers from blocking or slowing Web traffic for some sites while favoring others would serve as a model for governments elsewhere in the world.