Internet

States And Cities Keep Battle For Net Neutrality Alive

January 25, 2018 By Klint Finley, Wired.com Create! Cities, FCC, Internet, Net Neutrality

STATES ARE STARTING to make good on their promises to fight for net neutrality in the wake of the Federal Communications Commission's decision to jettison rules that banned broadband providers from blocking or discriminating against internet content. On Monday, Montana Governor Steve Bullock signed an executive order effectively barring state agencies from doing business with internet service providers that violate net neutrality. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a similar order on Wednesday. The moves follow a lawsuit filed last week by 21 states and the District of Columbia challenging the FCC's decision to overturn its own protections. Montana is the first state to take action to encourage broadband providers to follow the principles of net neutrality, but others, including California, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington are considering legislative action.

AT&T Pushing False Internet Bill of Rights

January 25, 2018 Kevin Zeese, Popular Resistance Resist! Internet, Net Neutrality

AT&T worked hard to get the FCC to repeal Title II Net Neutrality but now is trying to fool people with full page advertisements calling for an Internet Bill of Rights. Of course, the reality is Title Net Neutrality was a bill of rights for Internet users. AT&T hopes to find bought off members of Congres to introduce their version which should be more accurately described as the Telecom's Bill of Rights. Fight for the Future claimed "AT&T’s announcement also comes off as a bit of a joke at this moment, given that their lobbyists are shocked by the momentum of the Congressional Review Act resolutions to outright block the FCC’s repeal." Evan Greer, campaign director, for Fight for the Future said "We had an Internet bill of rights. It was called Title II and AT&T’s army of lobbyists did everything in their power to burn it down. It would be a lot easier to take AT&T at their word if they hadn’t spent more than $16 million last year alone lobbying to kill net neutrality and privacy protections for Internet users."

Julian Assange Calls Effort Of Corporations To Control Internet Discourse “An Existential Threat To Humanity”

January 24, 2018 Staff, Wsws.org Educate! Censorship, Internet, Julian Assange

The future of humanity is the struggle between humans that control machines and machines that control humans. Between the democratization of communication and usurpation of communication by artificial intelligence. While the internet has brought about a revolution in people’s ability to educate themselves and others, the resulting democratic phenomena has shaken existing establishments to their core. Google, Facebook and their Chinese equivalents, who are socially, logistically and financially integrated with existing elites, have moved to re-establish discourse control. This is not simply a corrective action. Undetectable mass social influence powered by artificial intelligence is an existential threat to humanity.

Lawsuits Try Stopping FCC From Killing Open Internet

January 19, 2018 By Monique Judge, Theroot.com Resist! FCC, Internet, Lawsuit, Net Neutrality

As Democrats in the Senate work to push forward a resolution that would stop the Federal Communications Commission from killing net neutrality and ending the open and free internet for everyone, multiple lawsuits were filed Tuesday by different groups with that same goal in mind. A group of attorneys general from 21 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Tuesday to block the FCC’s new rules from going into effect, the Associated Press reports. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said that the FCC made “arbitrary and capricious” changes to existing policies and was unjustified in departing from the FCC’s long-standing policy of defending net neutrality. Schneiderman was joined in the lawsuit by the attorneys general representing California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia.

Lifeline Program Changes Could Cut Low-Cost Internet For Thousands In Ohio

January 18, 2018 By Julie Washington, Cleveland.com Educate! Cleveland, FCC, Internet, Ohio, Open Access

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A federal program that helps low-income people afford internet service in their homes is in the Federal Communications Commission's crosshairs. Under changes the FCC recently proposed, fewer people may receive subsidized broadband service under the Lifeline program. Those left out will struggle to do online tasks such as filling out a job application, or paying bills online. About 12.5 million low-income people across the country, and thousands in Ohio, could be affected. There are even health implications, since so much of today's medicine relies on patients having the ability to make appointments, refill prescriptions and view test results online. "There are a lot of unknowns so far," said Liz Lazar, director of programs and partnerships for DigitalC, a nonprofit organization that provides digital literacy and internet access to the under-served.

Senate Push For Net Neutrality Reaches 50 Supporters

January 17, 2018 Staff, Fightforthefuture.org Resist! Electoral Politics, FCC, Internet, Net Neutrality, Senate

Stunning lobbyists, net neutrality supporters are now one vote away from winning a Senate vote on a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn the FCC’s unpopular repeal of net neutrality. All 49 Senate Democrats are now co-sponsoring the move, and Susan Collins (R-ME) has said she plans to support it. With victory in the Senate increasingly likely, Internet activists are setting their sights on the House, where they plan to wage a fierce battle to hit the simple majority needed to force a CRA vote to the floor. Today Rep Mike Doyle (PA-14) unveiled the names of 82 original cosponsors of his CRA resolution in the House. Including Doyle, the list totals 83 and includes House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, increasing the chances that House Democrats will line up behind the move. A simple majority is needed to force a vote to the floor in the House.

Restoration Of Net Neutrality Rules Hits Key Milestone In Senate

January 10, 2018 Jon Brodkin, Arstechnica.com Resist! FCC, Internet, Net Neutrality, Senate

Markey's bill likely won't restore the net neutrality rules in the end, even if it passes in the Senate. Forcing a vote will be more difficult in the House, where Republicans hold a larger majority. Even if the bill passes both the Senate and House, President Trump is likely to issue a veto in order to let the FCC's net neutrality repeal go forward. Still, Markey's resolution could pass in the Senate if all Democrats and two Republicans vote in favor of it. A vote would keep net neutrality in the spotlight as Democrats prepare to make the repeal a campaign issue in the November elections. Democrats haven't said when they will try to force a vote on Markey's resolution, but US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has promised to make it happen. Last month, noting that legislation to reverse the repeal "doesn't need the support of the majority leader," Schumer said, "there will be a vote."

Senate Will Vote On Repeal Of FCC Net Neutrality Decision

January 9, 2018 Staff, Tumblr.fightforthefuture.org/ Petitions and Online Actions FCC, Internet, Net Neutrality, Senate

Internet users are pledging to vote out lawmakers in 2018 if they do not support Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to restore FCC rules. Net neutrality advocates have hit an important milestone and are gaining ground in Congress. A Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn the FCC’s repeal of net neutrality has hit the 30 sign-ons from Senators needed to force a vote on the Senate floor. The CRA allows Congress to overturn the FCC’s decision, which has generated widespread bipartisan backlash, with a simple majority vote in the Senate and House, which is increasingly within reach with several Republicans already publicly criticizing the FCC’s move.

Snubbing FCC, States Are Writing Their Own Net Neutrality Laws

January 3, 2018 Sean Captain, Fastcompany.com Create! FCC, Internet, Legislation, Net Neutrality

For those who either hoped or feared that a December 14 vote by the FCC to scrap net neutrality regulations would settle the matter, it must feel like extra innings of a long hard-fought game. Along with the expected flood of lawsuits by activist groups fighting to preserve net neutrality, states have also taken up the cause. “We all agree that in an ideal world it should be handled at the federal level,” says California state senator Scott Wiener. “But if the federal government’s going to abdicate, then we need to take action, and I’m glad that a number of states are looking at this.” Along with pursuing lawsuits over irregularities in the FCC process (like millions of fake citizen comments being submitted), several states are crafting their own net neutrality laws, which they will start debating as new legislative sessions commence this month.

Internet Movement Will Make Net Neutrality 2018 Campaign Issue

December 22, 2017 Klint Finley, wired.com Resist! Electoral Politics, FCC, Internet, Net Neutrality

Now that the Federal Communications Commission has jettisoned its rules banning internet service providers from blocking or discriminating against lawful content, the issue is heading for Congress. And if the activists who first brought the issue into the limelight have a say, it will become an issue in the 2018 election campaign. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Massachusetts) already announced plans to introduce a joint resolution to reverse the FCC's decision. Several advocacy groups, including Demand Progress, Free Press, and Fight for the Future are calling on Congress to pass it. It's a long shot: both houses of Congress and the president would need to sign on. But letting net neutrality die is politically risky for Republicans, some of whom are pushing for scaled-back consumer protections to replace the FCC’s rules.

High-Speed Broadband Will Be A Legal Right For Homes & Businesses In UK

December 21, 2017 By Thuy Ong, theverge.com Create! Internet, Net Neutrality, New Economy

The UK Government has announced that homes and businesses will have a legal right to high-speed broadband of at least 10 Mbps by 2020. Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, says that 10 Mbps is the minimum speed needed to meet the requirements of an average family. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport has plans for that to happen, and will set out the framework for a legal right to broadband in secondary legislation early next year. The Department launched a consultation on the matter in the summer and has determined that only through a regulatory Universal Service Obligation (USO) could the required broadband speeds be met by 2020.

Flagship Morning News Shows Covered Net Neutrality 4 Minutes

December 19, 2017 Pam Vogel Educate! FCC, Internet, Net Neutrality

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today voted to repeal net neutrality rules, which will allow internet service providers to block or slow down service and access to websites, or charge fees for faster service. If you weren’t aware of this potentially monumental change that will significantly impact your internet access, that’s because the major news networks mostly haven’t been doing their jobs. Hours before today’s FCC repeal vote, the flagship morning news shows on the six major broadcast and cable news networks devoted an embarrassingly small amount of time to covering net neutrality. Relative silence from the major news networks on net neutrality is unfortunately nothing new, as Media Matters has previously documented.

Newsletter – Creating The 21st Century Internet

December 17, 2017 Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, www.PopularResistance.org Newsletter FCC, Freedom of Speeh, Human Rights, Internet, Internet Freedom, Net Neutrality

Ajit Pai, the former Verizon lawyer who is chair of the FCC, went too far last Thursday in undermining the Internet when he led the dismantling of net neutrality rules. As a result, he has fueled the energy needed to protect Internet rights. It is time for Movement Judo, where the energy created by the overreach of the FCC is turned into energy not just to overturn the FCC's decision, but to also create the Internet we need in the 21st Century. Over the past few months, there has arisen an epic mass mobilization in support of net neutrality and national consensus, with a University of Maryland poll finding 83% support for the Internet being open and equal to all.

Why Bother (Or Why I Froze My Ass Off Outside The FCC)

December 15, 2017 Staff, artkillingapathy.com Strategize! FCC, Internet, Net Neutrality, Protest Demonstrations

I’m tired. I’m uncomfortable. My ass is numb and my nose is running. I could go home. Unlike the hundreds of thousands of Americans who live outside on subzero nights like this; the literal outcasts of a system that systematically places profit over people, I am privileged enough to have a home to go to – a warm bed, and perhaps even a cat that’ll deign to snuggle with me for a couple of hours. But for tonight, I stay. And it’s not because I think the sight of my awkwardly constructed tent or handmade sign will sway FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to consider the will of more than 80% of Americans and more than 75% of Republicans who want Net Neutrality.

Nationalize The Networks

December 15, 2017 Evan Malmgren, dissentmagazine.org Create! FCC, Internet, Net Neutrality

Today, Trump’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted along party lines to repeal net neutrality. In a uniquely divided political landscape, the move accomplished something remarkable: it brought people together. On its deathbed, net neutrality enjoyed support from majorities across demographics, including voters on both sides of the aisle, baby boomers as well as millennials. Public figures ranging from John Oliver to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops took to their pulpits in defense of the principle that internet service providers (ISPs) like Comcast and Verizon should treat all traffic equally. Nearly 99 percent of 1.8 million unique comments received by the FCC spoke in favor of the Obama-era protections, and hundreds of protesters attended last-minute rallies across the country.

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