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Internet Freedom

I wrote this in 2006 about net neutrality. We won the battle then. Sadly, this administration has jeopardized our internet freedom once again. Today is our day of action. Please read the below for a better understanding of what’s at stake and tweet/Facebook/insta (using the hashtag #netneutrality) why internet freedom is so important to you.
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Corporate America strikes again this time, attacking Internet freedom.

 

Imagine, wanting to donate money to a charity and not being able to open the non-profit’s web page because of the charity’s inability to afford the dominant Internet provider’s fees required to make the page efficient? Imagine the millions of life saving dollars these charities will lose if lobbyists get their way? What if your child is sick and you can’t gain access to a support group’s page because the support group can’t afford the fees? Or even scarier, imagine not gaining speedy access to a politician’s views because the specific provider is against his or her ideology? Don’t think it could happen? Wal-Mart refuses to fill certain prescriptions because they are ethically against them. Why couldn’t the corporations limit our access to information they are against? They could, especially if large Internet providers like AT&T; are successful in their current behind-the-scenes campaign to get Congress to gut Network Neutrality—the Internet’s First Amendment and the key to Internet freedom. Network Neutrality is the idea that all information online is treated equally, so Internet companies have to make the smallest blog just as accessible as the largest corporate website.

A major communications law is moving through Congress right now and will likely pass—it will either have a section bolstering Network Neutrality or hurting it. The big companies want to defeat the “Markey Amendment” which will preserve Internet freedom. It comes up for a vote starting this week in a House committee, and will come up later in the full House and Senate as well. The only way the “Markey Amendment” will pass is if we speak up.

If we are silent and these companies win, say goodbye to small and start up businesses. If we don’t stand up for Internet freedom, big business will pay for dominant placing, making it impossible for young entrepreneurs to compete. Corporations will have the ability to steer you to the services they are partial to. If your Internet provider is Comcast do you think they will allow quick access to iTunes if they have financial stakes in a different music service? These corporations will take away our right to choose. They will impede innovation, stifle consumer choices, and block information and content that you may need or just want. It’s up to us to make our voices heard. Please take a moment and empower yourself on this issue by clicking on the links bellow. I implore you to sign the petition and contact your representatives. Together we can make a difference.

Sign the petition: http://civic.moveon.org/save_the_internet/

Take action: http://action.freepress.net/campaign/savethenet

Learn more about how this affects you: http://www.savetheinternet.com/=threat

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