What will the Internet look like without net neutrality rules? This protest planned for December 12 wants to show you so you’ll contact Congress and the FCC.
Under the current rules, Internet service providers (ISP) cannot charge extra for, slow down, or block specific websites and content.
But if Donald Trump’s FCC has its way, these rules will no longer exist and neither will the free and open Internet as we know it. In short, your Internet service provider will be able to decide what websites you are allowed to see and use.
The Federal Communications Commission announced the decision to roll back net neutrality rules in November.
According to the Washington Post:
“Under the agency’s proposal, providers of high-speed Internet services, such as Comcast, Verizon and AT&T, would be able to block websites they do not like and charge Web companies for speedier delivery of their content.
The FCC’s effort would roll back its net neutrality regulation which was passed by the agency’s Democrats in 2015 and attempted to make sure all Web content, whether from big or small companies, would be treated equally by Internet providers.”
The FCC is expected to make their decision on December 14, which is why advocates of net neutrality are preparing to hold a massive online protest two days before it, on December 12.
The “Break The Internet” protest urges people to fight for the open web by showing others what the Internet would look like without net neutrality. Protest organizers warn:
“We have just days. The FCC is about to vote to end net neutrality—breaking the fundamental principle of the open Internet—and only an avalanche of calls to Congress can stop it. So this Tuesday, December 12th, ‘Break the Internet’ on your site, on Twitter, Tumblr, Youtube or in whatever wild creative way you can to get your audience to contact Congress. That’s how we win. Are you in?”
They even provide protesters with images they can use on their own websites to demonstrate how ending net neutrality will change the Internet as we know it.
They even made a video
In addition to calling Congress, you can also contact the FCC.
Just remember, the Internet is how we do business, socialize, and learn. It has made our world smaller and made knowledge more accessible. Allowing Internet service providers to limit what we can do online is nothing more than an attack on freedom and a greedy attempt to squeeze more money out of consumers.
This effort to kill net neutrality needs to be stopped.
Featured Image Via Vimeo Video.
