Internet freedom activists delivered a whopping 1 million signed letters to the Federal Communications Commission Thursday.
Their goal is to save Net Neutrality, the concept that Internet service providers shouldn’t be able to charge customers extra to access certain sites and online services.
Earlier in January, the U.S. Court of Appeals struck down the FCC’s rules to protect Net Neutrality, and activists say that’s a direct result of FCC mismanaging its own rules back in 2010. The case may end up before the Supreme Court.
Net Neutrality has long been one of activists’ most cherished goals. Without Net Neutrality, those with more money will have a greater access to the Internet, creating yet another social division defined by wealth, and undermining the Internet’s democratic potential.
To that end, a broad coalition of activist groups, led by Demand Progress and including the ACLU and Fight For the Future, dropped off box after box of letters, each representing one of the more than 1 million signatures those organizations collected.
“It’s time for the agency to correct its past mistakes, reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service, and restore Net Neutrality for good,” Free Press Internet Campaign Director Josh Levy said.
“[I]t’s so important to protect everyone’s ability to say what they want and go where they want online without an Internet service provider interfering.”
Screengrab via videofreepress/Youtube. Remix by Fernando Alfonso III
