In case you have either been living under a rock of not paying attention, net neutrality is the concept that nobody's data on the internet gets priority over anyone else's data. In other words, the internet that we have enjoyed since its' inception has been operating on an even playing field. Sure, you can pay for faster or slower internet lines, but no matter what your connection speed is, your traffic has equal access and the same priority as anyone else's traffic once it is travelling through the data lines that connect us all together (the internet, or the world wide web).
Net Neutrality prevents ISP's (internet service providers) from discriminating against and blocking certain content, or throttling down your connection speed, or making you pay more money to access certain services (like video streaming, which uses a lot of bandwidth), or even putting data caps on your land-line cable internet, like the limits you have on your cell phone (usually 2 GB on average, depending on your phone plan). Imagine if Comcast could start charging you on a per gigabyte basis, like Verizon, ATT, and other cell phone providers do already on your phones. Wouldn't that suck? Or imagine if you suddenly had to start paying more money to access the same sites you have been using for years, like YouTube, Netflix, or Pandora. Basically, without net neutrality, the internet could turn into something like Cable TV, where you have to pay more to access certain content. That is something that nobody wants or needs, and only benefits corporate interests:
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| The FCC might as well be a subsidiary of Comcast |
They Have Completely Ignored The Will of the People
This is really happening, despite the fact that millions of people have written the FCC and told them that we, the people, are very opposed. So many people have complained that the FCC's website has crashed not once, but twice due to so many people telling them to save net neutrality. Yet despite this, we have been completely ignored, and now our window is opportunity to fix this problem has gotten much, much smaller, as last week it was announced that FCC chairman Tom Wheeler plans to seal the deal much sooner than we anticipated. His proposal is terrible, and would only attempt to appear to appease public outcry, while failing to address any of our concerns. We have spoken, and they are not getting the message. So, as a last resort, on November 6th, we will peacefully assemble and protest against killing the internet, in Washington,DC as a last resort to save the internet as we know it.
Our Last Chance
The FCC has the power to put a stop to all of this! So, there will be an Emergency Protest on November 6th, in the nation's capitol, Washington, DC:
"The WSJ just reported that, after receiving nearly 4 million public comments calling for strong net neutrality, the FCC is still hurtling toward a FAKE proposal that leaves the door wide open for Cable company censorship and abuse of the Internet. We need a massive response RIGHT NOW to show President Obama, the FCC, and the world that the Internet will accept nothing less than lasting net neutrality through Title II reclassification.
On November 6th, we'll gather at the White House and government buildings nationwide and hold our cell phones, candles, and flashlights up to shine light on the corruption that is unfolding in Washington, DC, and demand a free and uncensored Internet for all."
If this does not get their attention, I'm afraid I don't know what will. Perhaps now that this situation has blown up so terribly, more people will start to take it seriously. Even if you personally cannot be in Washington, DC on November the 6th, tell your friends, family, and anyone you know who may be able to make it to show up. The fate of our digital future now rests on the turnout of this demonstration.
And what kind of future will that be? There are only two possibilities: Will it be a future full of freedom to innovate, and friendly to entrepreneurs and small businesses? A future that continues to allow the limitless flow of information and truth to the people, via the internet, like we have taken for granted all along?
Or will it be a darker future, full of censorship and media/news blind spots, and inaccessibility of information because only the rich can afford to access it? One where you have to pay $100 a month to use YouTube or Netflix, or $25 a month strictly for web browsing and email, and with data caps? The fate of the future of the internet rests in all of our hands. Will you do your part? Will you say, "No, I will not accept this."? Or will you stick your head in the sand, go on with your daily lives, and pretend this does not matter? The choice is yours. America-- it's time to unite and say "enough is enough."
What Else Can I do?
- You can call the FCC and tell them you do not support Tom Wheeler's proposal, and that you are angry that the people have been heard and ignored.
- Or you can email the FCC and tell them not to accept these monstrous new proposals. Tell them to use the Title II laws to reclassify internet service providers as 'common carriers'. This would allow the FCC to prevent all the terrible things that the Big Internet companies want to do to us. It's not perfect, but its' the best solution we have on hand.
- And as always, you can simple share this information on social media. Make people aware, spread the word, and be vigilant in general.
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