July 12th is Save Net Neutrality Day

Join TechLaurels in this Day of Action,

Protecting Net Neutrality

Techlaurels opposes the FCC’s plan to slash Title II, the legal foundation for net neutrality rules that protect online free speech and innovation.

On July 12, 2017, websites, Internet users, and online communities are uniting to sound the alarm about the FCC’s attack on net neutrality.

Right now, new FCC Chairman and former Verizon lawyer Ajit Pai have plans to destroy net neutrality. They want to give big cable companies total control over what we see and do online. If they get their way, the FCC will give companies like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T control over what we can see and do on the Internet, with the power to slow down or block websites, and to charge apps and sites extra fees to reach an audience.

In practical terms, this means Comcast could potentially throttle Netflix's bandwidth, so that their own pay-per-view movies would stream flawlessly, while Netflix buffered and sputtered along. They could charge extra for users to use Gmail, or filter it heavily, in order to almost force their users to be tied to a Comcast e-mail address.  Spectrum could potentially block the use of competing apps and services on any connected Smart TVs. The ISPs would have control of what is allowed to flow through their pipes, as well as the speed at which individual apps or services flow. With our limited choice in providers, the end users are sure to suffer. Consumers already hate throttling due to data caps; can you imagine if throttling by provider was actually sanctioned by the Government? It's almost like advocating Jim Crow laws for cyberspace.

If we lose net neutrality, we could soon face an Internet where some of your favorite websites are forced into a slow lane online, while deep-pocketed companies who can afford expensive new “prioritization” fees have special fast lane access to Internet users – tilting the playing field in their favor.  You can be sure there are no more "viral superstars" that are not ISP sponsored. Independent artists will be forced back into unfair distribution systems, as they will not be able to afford the fees they'll be charged for audio traffic. I shudder to think of the potential consequences.



But today, July 12th, the Internet is uniting to protest this. Websites, Internet users, and online communities are standing  tall, and we are sounding the alarm regarding the FCC’s attack on net neutrality.

Companies participating include Amazon, Kickstarter, Etsy, Reddit, Mozilla, Vimeo, Y Combinator, GitHub, Private Internet Access, Pantheon, Bittorrent Inc., Shapeways, Nextdoor, Patreon, Dreamhost, and CREDO Mobile. Others participating include Fight for the Future, Free Press Action Fund, Demand Progress, Center for Media Justice, Internet Archive, World Wide Web Foundation, Creative Commons, National Hispanic Media Coalition, Greenpeace, Common Cause, ACLU, American Library Association, Daily Kos, OpenMedia, The Nation, PCCC, MoveOn, OFA, Public Knowledge, OTI, Color of Change, and of course, Techlaurels.

Learn more and sign the pledge here: https://www.battleforthenet.com/july12 .

 

Potential Future

The current regulations get repealed, and the ISPs are given free rein.  The days of "unlimited" plans end, and we go back to paying per megabyte of use.  Suddenly, Spectcast, the huge ISP, decides LocalRadioontheWeb.com is generating too much traffic through their servers. So they cut off their customer's access to that site all together. Entering localradioontheweb.com takes you to a page that says "Page locked for being too popular."

So localradioontheweb.com approaches Spectcast and offers to pay them 10k per month for access through their servers.  Spectcast agrees, with some caveats. Now, when you enter their URL in the address bar, you're greeted with a page that says "Please agree to a fee of 2 cents per megabyte of data transfer, charged to your monthly bill, before proceeding.  You agree, and you're greeted by another box that says accessing the streaming player will incur another $5 fee.

So they're extorting localradiostationontheweb.com, as well as you, their actual customer. And they're making lots of money from both ends.  But then ClearMegaRadio comes in and tells Spectcast they'll play them 50k a month to cut off their competitor.  What do you think you'll be greeted with when you try to visit that site? localradiostationontheweb.com comes back and offers Spectcast 15k to let their customers have access back. Spectcast wants 75k. localradiostationontheweb.com can't afford to pay 75k, so Spectcast blocks access to their site again. localradiostationontheweb.com goes under.

Next, your monthly bill comes.  Spectcast is announcing service changes. From this point on, monthly internet fees will include HTML and text files only. If you want to access any photo files, that will be an additional $10 a month. To add video, it's $30 more, and if you want ANY audio, it's another $50 on top of that. But for only $30 a month, you can add on their streaming service, saving you those pesky audio and video fees.

You grumble, but you pay the ridiculous fees, as all the providers have merged, and Spectcast is the only game in town. So you figure you'll relax by logging into your favorite local musician's website. You type "dockokobootleg.com" into your browser. Up comes a page that says "Spectcast does not allow access to this site, as it consumes too much bandwidth. But if you enjoy the Doctor Koko Bootleg Band, try Aristony Records Artist, Democracy Pressure."

This is the potential future if we allow them to repeal Net Neutrality.  It brings us one step closer to a Corporate owned, and Corporate controlled, Cyberspace..

Video: Why Net Neutrality Matters

If you have trouble seeing this video, you can use this link: https://vimeo.com/223515967



If you cannot  see this video, visit this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZEw_6Y0hhU

 

What Others Have Said Regarding Net Neutrality:

Evan Greer, campaign director of Fight for the Future, said: “The Internet has given more people a voice than ever before, and we’re not going to let the FCC take that power away from us. Massive online mobilization got us the strong net neutrality protections that we have now, and we intend to fight tooth and nail to defend them. Politicians in Washington, DC need to learn that net neutrality is not a partisan issue and Internet users will not tolerate these attacks on our basic rights – we will come together to protect the web as an open platform for free expression and exchange of ideas.”

Michal Rosenn, General Counsel at Kickstarter, said: “A threat to net neutrality is a threat to the free exchange of ideas that creative culture and an informed public rely upon. Kickstarter, and the tens of thousands of creators who have brought new ideas to life through our platform, all depend on a free and open internet. We’re proud to stand alongside so many others today to preserve net neutrality, and to protect the freedoms that make the internet such a powerful force.”

Malkia Cyril, executive director at the Center for Media Justice, said: “Communities of color across the United States depend on an open Internet to thrive. From resisting police violence to demanding fair wages – the political voice and economic opportunity that the Internet enables must remain protected by Title II net neutrality. Trump’s FCC seeks to wall these communities off from the power of the internet as a mobilizing tool and an equalizer. On July 12, we will stand together with activists, Internet users of color, advocacy groups, and tech companies to preserve democracy by defending our Internet.”

Michael Cheah, General Counsel, Vimeo, said: “Net neutrality made it possible for Vimeo, along with countless other startups, to innovate and thrive. The FCC’s proposed rollback of the 2015 open Internet rules threatens to impede that innovation and allow a handful of incumbent ISPs to determine winners and losers. On July 11th, Vimeo will proudly join our fellow tech brethren to rally Internet users nationwide to demand strong net neutrality rules to prevent ISPs from manipulating Internet traffic.”


Denelle Dixon, Mozilla’s Chief Legal and Business Officer, said: “Net neutrality is vital to a healthy Internet: it protects free speech, competition and innovation online. It’s also something a majority of Americans support — 76%, according to a recent Mozilla-Ipsos poll. By reverting to a Title I classification for ISPs, the FCC is endangering Americans’ access to a free and open web. The FCC is creating an Internet that benefits ISPs, not users.”

What Should I Share or Tweet?

Feel free to grab any of the graphics in this post, which were all created by The Battle for the Net campaign, for use in raising awareness and encouraging participation.  They have also created these sample posts:

Sample Facebook Posts

• Today internet users and online communities unite to sound the alarm about the FCC's attack on net neutrality (the rules that prevent internet service providers like Comcast and Verizon from slowing down, censoring, blocking, and charging extra fees online). Help us stop them, take action now: battleforthenet.com
• Act now to save net neutrality and stop widespread throttling, blocking, censorship, and extra fees on the web: battleforthenet.com
• Take action now to stop the FCC’s plan for throttling, blocking, & new fees online. Defend net neutrality: battleforthenet.com
• Enemies of net neutrality want to control what information is available to us and charge us more to access the internet. Defend the free and open internet: battleforthenet.com
• This post is being ███████ by your internet service provider. Well, not yet. But, only if you ███████ stop them. Take action now to tell the FCC, “we need net neutrality!” battleforthenet.com

Sample Tweets

• Stop the FCC’s plan for throttling, blocking, & new fees online. Take action now to defend #NetNeutrality: battleforthenet.com
• We deserve equal access to the internet & the FCC is trying to take that away. Act now to save #NetNeutrality: battleforthenet.com
• This tweet is being ████ by Comcast. Well, not yet. But, only if you ████ stop them: battleforthenet.com
• This tweet is being ████ by your internet service provider. Well, not yet. But, only if you ████ stop them: battleforthenet.com
• #NetNeutrality preserves the freedom of information we all enjoy online. Say no to internet censorship: battleforthenet.com
• #NetNeutrality stops internet service providers from charging extra fees. Let's save it! Take action now: battleforthenet.com
• #NetNeutrality stops Comcast & Verizon from charging extra fees. Let's save it! Take action now: battleforthenet.com
• #NetNeutrality opponents want to control what info is available to us & charge us more to access the web. Stop them: battleforthenet.com
• Enemies of #NetNeutrality want to control what we see online and charge us more to access it. Stop them: battleforthenet.com
• If you're reading this, you have to act now to defend the free and open Internet. Submit your comment to the FCC at BattlefortheNet.com!
• Killing #NetNeutrality will open the floodgates for Internet censorship. Tell the FCC, "we need net neutrality": BattlefortheNet.com
• #NetNeutrality is the First Amendment of the internet. Take action now to stop Big Cable from destroying it: battleforthenet.com
• #NetNeutrality is the First Amendment of the internet. Take action now to stop the FCC from destroying it: battleforthenet.com
• If you hate this symbol, defend #NetNeutrality: battleforthenet.com
  ADD IMAGE FILE TO TWEET: slow loading gif
• If you don't want your favorite websites to look like this, defend #NetNeutrality &; RT!
  ADD IMAGE FILE TO TWEET: slow loading gif
• ISPs like @Comcast want 🇺🇸 to let them 🐢 the Internet for 💰. But we can 🛑 them: Battleforthenet.com #NetNeutrality

Image files are available at  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B7iKho2OIeVzREZWSkRaenZwMFk?usp=sharing

Learn more and join the action here:
https://www.battleforthenet.com/july12 

NOTE: This article was updated post-publication. Specifically, the section called "Potential Future" was added.