Updated Dec. 18, 2017
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The threat of changing Title II classification puts this at risk by allowing ISPs direct capabilities to block websites, slow sites down to give some sites an advantage over others, and split the internet into “fast lanes” for companies that pay and “slow lanes” for the rest.
Related: Sovrn CEO Walter Knapp on ‘Why Net Neutrality Matters’
Net neutrality is the single most important attribute of the internet. Allowing ISPs to control how we consume the internet is deeply concerning both philosophically and economically. The web is not owned by any one of us; it is shared by all of us. That is why net neutrality is so important.
How can you help?
FCC chair Ajit Pai presented a plan this year to gut net neutrality, and on December 14 the FCC voted in favor of that plan, ending FCC support for net neutrality. Congress, however, has oversight over the FCC and can slow this down or force the plan to be abandoned.
Join us by writing and/or calling your congressional representatives and senators, telling them you support net neutrality. The website Battle for the Net makes this process easy, providing emails, phone numbers and sample scripts.
Vital for publishers and users
In an opinion piece for WARC, Sovrn CEO Walter Knapp explains why net neutrality is so vital for publishers and internet users alike:
“Net neutrality allows smaller, independent publishers who are experts in their field and passionate about their subject area to create high quality niche content that can be accessed equally by all,” he writes. “If the 2015 regulations are reversed, a powerful few will be able to take control over how people consume, share and converse online. This is deeply concerning for the future of free speech.”
Additional resources
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- Read Sovrn CEO Walter Knapp’s piece on “Why Net Neutrality Matters.”
- The best way to take action and show your support for net neutrality is to write and/or call your congressperson. The website Battle for the Net makes it easy to figure out who and what to say.
- On Tuesday, December 12, the group Fight for the Future is asking us all to help “Break the Internet.” Here’s how you can do it.
- For even more background on the issue, check out Rand Fishkin’s Whiteboard Friday video on “Why Net Neutrality Matters for SEO and Web Marketing”:
Net Neutrality – Whiteboard Friday_1
