“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
Update: Breaking News Ten Arrests at Occupy Google
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.
Why Google?
In 2012, Google created a petition as part of a campaign against the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect Intellectual Property Act that collected over 7 million signatures. The massive online resistance in opposition to these two monstrous bills stopped them from becoming a reality.
Today, the internet is once again under attack, this time by ISP’s who wish to capitalize on content providers and eliminate net neutrality. Though Google and other major companies such as Netflix, Amazon and Microsoft have come out in support of preserving a free and open web, we believe much more can be done.
Though many of us have concerns about the larger implications of Google’s effect on the world, as far as surveillance and ties to military technology, we are not here to protest Google.
Google, with its immense power, has a social responsibility to uphold the values of the internet. We encourage Google to engage in a serious, honest dialogue on the issue of net neutrality and to stand with us in support of an internet that is free from censorship, discrimination, and access fees.
What Can We Do?
We have only until July 15 before the public comment period ends for the FCC. So on July 10, we’re calling everyone to a global day of action. An Internet blackout campaign modeled after the anti-SOPA/PIPA online protests that managed to preserve Internet freedom in the past.
- Blackout their entire website for a day, replacing it with an info link to petitions and the FCC comment page.
- Add a button to their website connecting users to information and petitions online.
- Create their own creative way to connect their users to this issue and how to fight back.
We are committed to occupying the Google Headquarters until the company gets involved in honest dialogue on net neutrality, and until real action is taken to maintain a free and open internet.
Timeline Of Events
1860’s
Telegrams and telephone networks were deemed public utilities, and routed information equally regardless of content or sender. This effectively prevented censorship and preferential treatment.
1930’s
The FCC begins to regulate telephone and telegraph networks as “common carriers” under the Communications Act of 1934.
1980’s
The Internet becomes available for public use. Arguments ignite over the private interests of telecommunications companies and internet providers.
1996
Congress passes the Telecommunications Act, which re-classifies what types of services were considered “common carriers”.
Early 2000’s
FCC is forced to deregulate DSL and cable internet.
2010
The FCC releases the Open Internet Order, which established high-level rules requiring transparency and prohibiting blocking and unreasonable discrimination to protect Internet openness.
2013
Obama appoints Tom Wheeler as head of the FCC, a former top lobbyist for the telecommunications industry.
January 2014
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.
May 2014
The FCC proposes a plan to partition the Internet into multiple tiers, prompting major tech companies such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon to warn in a letter to the FCC that the proposed changes “represent a grave threat to the Internet”.