A host of internet giants – from social networks to dating apps to porn sites have joined a protest against plans to roll back rules protecting “net neutrality”.
The sites will display a variety of messages, or simulate the potential effects of losing the basic principle of all internet traffic being treated equally.
The US communications regulator earlier this year voted to remove an Obama-era rule that would prevent the prioritization of data, as well as other measures campaigners consider to be detrimental to the internet.
Opponents to net neutrality say it stifles innovation and discourages investment in telecoms infrastructure.
Among the companies protesting, include; Google, Facebook, Amazon, Reddit, Airbnb, Twitter, and Snapchat.
Crowdfunding site Kickstarter will be involved, as will craft-selling site Etsy and dating app OkCupid. PornHub, one of the world’s most visited sites, will also be taking part.
According to BBC Technology, around 80,000 websites and services in all are taking part in the coordinated action that is designed to draw attention to a public consultation about the proposed rule reversal.
Net neutrality is wildly popular… and we want them to stop trying to murder it
A lawyer for pro-net neutrality groups, Sean Vitka, was also quoted as saying; “What we want the FCC to hear, and we want members of Congress to hear, is that net neutrality is wildly popular, which it is, and we want them to stop trying to murder it.”
He went on to say “it stops large companies, like Internet service providers, from controlling who wins or loses on the internet. There’d be nothing to stop your ISP stopping the next Facebook, the next Google, from accessing customers equally.
“If a new company can’t access companies on the same terms as the incumbents they’re not going to have the chance to thrive.”
Promoting investment in infrastructure is the strongest of the anti-net neutrality arguments, with major telecoms companies arguing that the Googles and Facebooks of the world would not be able to run, were it not for the high-speed internet connections offered by internet service providers.
Campaigners have countered this by suggesting it is the lure of enticing premium services like Netflix that tempt users into paying more for better internet access.
A more curious position came from mobile carrier AT&T which is said to have been a vocal opponent of net neutrality.
“We agree that no company should be allowed to block content or throttle the download speeds of content in a discriminatory manner,” the firm said.
“So, we are joining this effort because it’s consistent with AT&T’s proud history of championing our customers’ right to an open internet and access to the Internet content, applications, and devices of their choosing.”
AT&T is lying when they say they support net neutrality, while actively opposing it- Evan Greer
Campaign groups gave the company little credit, pointing out that it has sought to put in place data prioritization, which would allow web companies to pay AT&T in order to get priority – i.e. quicker – access to their users.
“AT&T is lying when they say they support net neutrality, while actively opposing it,” said Evan Greer, director of Fight for the Future, in an interview BBC reports.
