Recently, there has been a battle over net neutrality at the FCC headquarters in Washington, D.C. Major cable providers such as Comcast want to control the means by which you receive internet connection thereby destroying net neutrality. It’s tricky to explain but here is a simple explanation made by Michael Ciarlo. Over months of discussions to decide what to do, along with many, many protests, it looks like the FCC may be making the internet a public utility which is great for the public!
An email from Even Greer at Fight for The Future:
Dear Fight for the Future member,
I’ve got to be honest with you. I really didn’t think we would make it this far.
When we started this fight for net neutrality, it seemed like the odds were stacked impossibly against us. We’re up against some of the most powerful and politically well-connected companies in the world. Companies that are so close to the government, sometimes it’s hard to tell the two apart.
To tell the truth, when we first started this, there was a pretty strong voice in the back of my mind telling me we couldn’t win. It seemed like one of those fights you just had to fight because it was the only righteous, just, rational thing to do.
But here at Fight for the Future, when we take on a campaign, we fight to win, whether the goal seems “possible” or not. So we went all in, and spent long nights and hard days just making stuff happen. Stuff like Occupy the FCC, the Internet Slowdown, a giant net neutrality video billboard, and a calling campaign that’s kept dozens of phones at the FCC, Congress, and the White House ringing off the hook for months.
It’s working, and the effects are measurable. But the next two months will be crucial. The closer we get to winning a real net neutrality rule, the more desperate and aggressive Comcast and Verizon’s lobbyists become. They’re pouring tons of money into a misleading Ad campaign right now that’s blanketing Washington, DC in a last ditch effort to sink net neutrality in Congress, just when it seems we’ve finally secured it. But we have something they don’t have. We have all of you!
We’re running a little low on funds for our net neutrality work right now, but here’s the plan. There are 1.2 million people on this email list. If everyone gives $1 right now, we could run our own Ad campaign that would tear Comcast’s lies to shreds, and connect it to our broader strategy pressuring lawmakers with innovative online actions and tried and true on-the-ground protest tactics.
But not everyone can give $1, so some of us have to give $20, or $50 or $500! This is history in the making. Let’s all chip in whatever we can.
Yes, I can chip in something to make sure we win the last round of the net neutrality fight.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned since our epic victory against SOPA, it’s that the Internet has completely changed what is and isn’t possible when it comes to politics. Thanks to the free and open web, our tiny team of 7 people has been able to go head to head some of the best funded lobbying operations in the world, and win.
I really never thought I would get to send this email. We still have a long way to go, and we’ll need your support for the final round. But there’s one thing I’m sure of now. As long as we keep the Internet free and open: nothing is impossible.
Please click here to chip in what you can. You rule.
Yours for the Internet,
-Evan at FFTF
This is awesome! The power of the people is amazing. We just need to keep up the fight for net neutrality so that future generations can enjoy the freedom on the internet that we have!
