This week, a group of activists took part in a direct action at Google's Mountain View headquarters to demand the Internet giant take a more active role in fighting for net neutrality. The events have been peaceful, with ten arrests so far. A Day of Online Protest is scheduled for July 10th. This is their message and call for action.
"Will the digital age usher in the individual liberation and political freedoms that the Internet is uniquely capable of unleashing? Or will it bring about a system of omnipresent monitoring and control...? Right now either path is possible. Our actions will determine where we end up." -Glen Greenwald
It is Time to Take Action for Net Neutrality
The Internet is one of the most powerful tools we have for changing the world.
What's Going On?
A U.S. Court of Appeals ruling in January gave Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like Verizon, Comcast and AT&T the power to slow down or block Internet traffic. ISPs can now discriminate between data on any grounds, charging different rates based on content, or censoring webpages altogether, effectively ending free speech on the Internet.
ISPs have something that companies like Facebook and Google don't - direct control over your physical connection to the Internet. Now that there are no legal restraints to stop them, ISPs are free to monitor everything you do and say online, and sell your information to the highest bidder.
The choices we make today will determine how this amazing tool will be used to craft the world we live in tomorrow.
Since it's inception, the Internet has remained a horizontal space where all users have equal access to information & communication. As the FCC considers new rules that will allow for large corporations to have faster connection pathways than individuals, we must consider what kind of internet we want. There is an overwhelming consensus that we all want an Internet based on a few simple principles: a space that does not discriminate between it's users, a space that does not limit content or censor information, and a space that does not require you to pay to have greater access. This is the essence of net neutrality.
The truth is that the Internet is quickly becoming the greatest catalyst for transforming and changing the world we live in. It is through these tools that we have recently seen governments & corporations challenged, entire political systems revamped, and new innovations birthed.
We are taking action to defend the Internet as our public commons.
Come join us in a 24/7 occupation of Google headquarters to create a space for open dialog on the future of the Internet.