Today, Public Knowledge joins public interest groups, websites, companies, trade associations, entrepreneurs, video creators, social media fans, and thousands of consumers in the world’s largest online protest to save the internet. As part of the July 12 internet-wide “Day of Action to Save Net Neutrality,” websites large and small will team up with internet users across the globe to oppose the Federal Communications Commission’s plan to dismantle the agency’s landmark net neutrality rules. The rules prevent internet service providers like Comcast from blocking websites, throttling connection speeds, and accepting paid-prioritization deals.
Other companies, including Airbnb, Reddit, Netflix, Automattic, AdBlock, Deviant Art, Yelp, Twitter, Amazon, Facebook, Google, Medium, and hundreds of other sites and organizations, are also participating in this massive online protest organized by consumer advocacy groups. Participants will display prominent messages on their websites today or encourage users to take action using push notifications, videos, social media, and email outreach. More than 70,000 people have already gotten involved, including those from organizations like Public Knowledge, Fight for the Future, Free Press, and the ACLU.
Public Knowledge opposes Chairman Pai’s move to gut the net neutrality rules, leaving consumers, small businesses, artists, students, hospital patients, low-income families, startups and entrepreneurs at the mercy of broadband providers. Read more about why we’re participating here.
The following may be attributed to Chris Lewis, Vice President at Public Knowledge:
“Today’s Day of Action marks the beginning of a massive pushback against the effort to remove essential net neutrality protections that benefit all internet users. Public Knowledge is proud to be a part of this protest as one of the long-time public interest champions fighting to ensure an Open Internet.
“The facts of this matter are abundantly clear. The current net neutrality rules are working, they are popular, and they have been upheld in court challenges not once but twice. Everyone benefits from the current rules that maintain a free market and level playing field for all websites and services online. The only people that benefit from eliminating the current net neutrality rules are the big cable and broadband companies who want to favor their own content over their competitors’ content and reap billions of dollars in new profits.
“No one should have to pay an extra toll or get permission from their broadband provider to deliver their content or services to consumers online. It’s time to take a stand to preserve these hard-fought rules that protect the internet and internet users everywhere, and that movement starts today.”
For more information on today’s protest activities, join the Battle For The Net. Public Knowledge experts are also available for interview.
Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.