Friend, The Trump administration has officially launched its attack on Net Neutrality — if it succeeds, the internet as we know it will be gone for good. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai just unveiled the details of his plan to dismantle Net Neutrality at a private event in Washington, D.C. Here it is in a nutshell: Abolish Net Neutrality. Cross our fingers that the phone and cable companies promise to be good. Yeah, right. These are the same companies that promise to be at your house between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and don’t show up until the following week. The same companies that were caught repeatedly violating Net Neutrality before strong rules were on the books.1 The same companies that admitted that if it weren’t for Net Neutrality they would discriminate against websites and content.2 Tell Chairman Pai, the Trump administration and Congress to LEAVE NET NEUTRALITY ALONE. Expect to see Pai, members of Congress and industry lobbyists pushing messages that make it look like they support Net Neutrality, despite being completely opposed to it. Pai wants to undo the legal underpinning of the rules themselves and create FAKE Net Neutrality instead. Don’t be fooled. If Pai gets his way and is able to undo Net Neutrality, companies like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon will be able to decide who’s heard and who isn’t. They’ll be able to block websites or content they don’t like or applications that compete with their own offerings. Without Net Neutrality, how would activists be able to fight against oppression? What would happen to racial justice movements like the Movement for Black Lives that use the internet to organize? How would the next disruptive technology, business or company emerge if internet service providers only let incumbents succeed? We will not let them take Net Neutrality — speak out now. In the coming weeks we’re going to need to turn up the heat on Pai, the cable and phone companies, and all their friends in Congress. If they think we will let the internet go down without a fight, they’ve got another thing coming. Thanks for all that you do— Candace, Dutch, Lucia, Amy and the rest of the Free Press Action Fund team P.S. Urge policymakers to leave Net Neutrality alone. P.P.S. It’ll take everything we have to win this fight. Chip in $10 or more today to save Net Neutrality. We don’t take money from business, government or political parties and rely on the generosity of charitable foundations and individual donors like you. Thanks! 1. “Net Neutrality Violations: A Brief History,” Free Press, April 25, 2017: https://act.freepress.net/go/16808?t=9&akid=6346.10296224.JLp_uZ 2. “Verizon’s Plan to Break the Internet,” Free Press, Sept. 18, 2013: https://act.freepress.net/go/16809?t=11&akid=6346.10296224.JLp_uZ | ||
The Free Press Action Fund is a nonpartisan organization fighting for your rights to connect and communicate. The Free Press Action Fund does not support or oppose any candidate for public office. Learn more at freepress.net. | ||