| Friend,
I’m gonna go out on a limb here: You don’t own a cable or phone company, but you or someone you know owns a small business that relies on the open internet to reach customers.
Did I guess right? If so, now is the time to tell congress not to let AT&T, Comcast and Verizon destroy the best engine for economic prosperity in the 21st century: a free and open internet.
As the deadline for restoring Net Neutrality protections draws closer, big ISPs are ramping up their lobbying efforts. But we know from experience that when thousands of small business owners speak with one voice, they can be just as powerful as high-paid DC lobbyists.
Add your business to the list of over 6,000 businesses who have signed on in support of Net Neutrality. Don’t have a business? Forward this email to a friend who does!
So many of our systems are rigged to support the wealth and power of those already on top. But the open internet creates the potential for something else — Net Neutrality provides avenues for people of color, queer folks, women and others who have been traditionally shut out of many economic opportunities to run their own businesses, make their own rules, and tell their own stories.
The ability for an entrepreneur to come up with a great idea, create a website, and reach an audience of millions has been one of the defining characteristics of the internet economy. A free and open internet is a critical tool in creating a level playing field for businesses of all sizes.
In May 2018, thousands of small business owners from across the nation signed our open letter to Congress in support of Net Neutrality. Many of these business owners attended protest events and hand-delivered copies of the open letter to their lawmakers ... and it worked. The Senate voted to overturn the FCC's repeal of Net Neutrality.
Now we need to win the vote in the House of Representatives, and we're calling on small business owners once again.
Tell your lawmakers to protect competition and free markets on the internet. Tell your lawmakers to support Net Neutrality.
Thanks for all that you do—
Adam, Lucia and the rest of the Free Press Action Fund team
freepress.net
P.S. When members of Congress head home for August recess, they have to answer to local businesses, not giant ISPs. Sign our letter telling congress that they must act to save Net Neutrality and a level playing field for every business. |
