If you didn’t notice it yet, most of the websites that you visit are having an online protest of sorts this Wednesday, calling for a Net Neutrality Day of Action. This is in response to the ongoing move by the Federal Communications Commission to remove the rules set by the Obama Administration back in 2015 to bring net neutrality to the Internet. Google is among those that joined the protest, although their efforts were a bit subtler than the others.
If you’re not familiar with the rules of net neutrality, specifically Title II, it requires internet service providers (ISPs) to treat all of the websites equally. This means they can’t block content or speed up or slow down the data depending on what website the user is visiting. But just last May, the FCC voted to reverse the rules, saying that removing this regulation will actually boost new investment in technology. So now, most of these Internet companies are calling for action to stop the FCC from terminating the regulations.
Google’s move was simple: send out an email blast and post something on their blog, encouraging people to let the FCC know their views on net neutrality. There’s a link to the Internet Association’s Save the Internet website where everything is explained in 7 items (with memes!). Other companies like Facebook. Netflix, Kickstarter, Reddit, etc have joined the protest with full-page takeovers, interactive graphics, etc.
Google’s approach was a bit more understated, because of their complicated relationship with net neutrality in general. But at least, they still did something right? And if you prefer an open Internet for all, you should make your voice heard.
SOURCE: Google
