Net Neutrality

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.

Net Neutrality: Floor Vote Will Force Senators To Go On Record

January 13, 2018 By John Zangas, Dcmediagroup.us Resist! Electoral Politics, Net Neutrality, Senate

The fight for a free and open Internet gained new hope this week as Senators met a critical threshold under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to force a vote on last month’s rule change by the FCC. The Senate will vote within 60 legislative days on whether to vacate an FCC decision to scrap common carrier status and give full control of the Internet to the big telecoms. Internet support groups say the CRA holds out hope for the Internet to remain in the public domain, but in order to help see it through, constituents must contact their U.S. Senators and urge them to support the CRA to overturn the Net Neutrality vote. The Internet had been classified as a public utility under Title II of the Telecommunications Act of 1934 until the FCC voted 3-2 on December 14 to deregulate it. The FCC subsequently published new rules reclassifying it as an “information service,” so it could justify handing control of it to the telecoms.

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.

Flexible Borders, Your Rights & Drones And Public Broadband

December 24, 2017 Eleanor Goldfield, occupy.com/actout Resistance Report Border, Drones, Municipal Networks, Net Neutrality

This week on Act Out! we're talking borders and barriers. First up, did you know that the U.S constitution has a different border zone than the official border map of the U.S.? And what does that have to do with drones in a small town in Maine? Next up, make some noise between barriers this New Years and here's how the U.S now extends to 75% of the world's nations. Finally, following last week's Net Neutrality decision, you may be feeling down – but here's a pick me up that gives YOU the power to access the internet – no telecoms allowed.

Black Lives Matter Gearing Up To Fight For Net Neutrality

December 22, 2017 By Aaron Morrison, Mic.com Resist! Black Lives Matter (BLM), Net Neutrality

Imagine if, in the moment when Philando Castile was shot by a police officer in Minnesota, his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, wasn’t able to livestream it on Facebook. What if Missouri residents could not tweet, in the moments after a Ferguson officer shot Michael Brown? Social media is, in part, the reason these cases of police brutality are known worldwide. That’s why a broad coalition of activists in the Black Lives Matter movement says it plans to fight the FCC, after the policy keeping the world wide web accessible to all communities changed Dec. 14. Commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 to repeal Obama-era rules that discouraged internet service providers from discriminating against customers and censoring information to support their bottom lines.

U.N. Freedom Of Speech Expert Concerned About Net Neutrality

December 22, 2017 Tom Miles, Reuters.com Educate! Freedom of Speech, Net Neutrality, United Nations

GENEVA (Reuters) - The U.N.’s freedom of speech expert said on Wednesday he was concerned about the ramifications of a decision in the United States to roll back net neutrality, since it could lead to small and independent voices being drowned out on the web. Last week the U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal rules intended to ensure a free and open internet, setting up a court fight over a move that could recast the digital landscape. David Kaye, an American law professor and the U.N. Human Rights Council’s independent expert on freedom of expression, said net neutrality, the idea that all internet traffic should be treated the same regardless of content, was essential.

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.

Organizing For Our Rights To Internet Equality

December 20, 2017 Margaret Flowers and Kevin Zeese, ClearingtheFOGRadio.org Podcast FCC, Internet Freedom, Net Neutrality

On December 14, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), lead by chairman Ajit Pai, voted to dismantle the hard-won net neutrality rules, going against widespread public support for those rules. The public organized in a massive effort to stop the vote, and now organizations, states and people are taking action to revoke and challenge the FCC's decision. This decision and the public activation around it provide an opportunity to build power not only to win net neutrality, but also to put laws and structures into place that go much farther to create the universal right to high quality, affordable Internet access and equality.

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.

Call Congress: Revoke The FCC’s Decision To End Net Neutrality

December 16, 2017 Staff, www.popularresistance.org Resist! Congress, FCC, Internet Freedom, Net Neutrality

On December 14, Verizon lawyer turned chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Ajit Pai, led the effort to dismantle the net neutrality rules we fought for and won in 2015. Even though we lost this battle, we have not lost the struggle for Internet freedom and universal equal access. The next actions include: 1. Forcing Congress to revoke the decision using the Congressional Review Act. 2. Our allies challenging the decision in court. 3. And ultimately, taking our Internet back from the telecoms through municipal and other forms of public ownership. Please take action today to contact your members of Congress and tell them that the Internet is a public necessity, not a profit-maker for the giant telecoms. They must revoke the FCC's decision.

State AGs Suing FCC For Putting ‘Corporate Profits Over Consumers’

December 16, 2017 ByJake Johnson, commondreams.org Resist! Corporations, FCC, Lawsuit, Net Neutrality, Profit

"The FCC's vote to rip apart net neutrality is a blow to New York consumers, and to everyone who cares about a free and open internet," New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman—who is also investigating the flood of fake comments that "corrupted" the agency's policymaking process—said in a statement announcing his intent to sue. "The FCC just gave Big Telecom an early Christmas present, by giving internet service providers yet another way to put corporate profits over consumers." Soon after Schneiderman's announcement on Thursday, more than a dozen other state AGs followed suit, with both red and blue states joining the public repudiation of FCC chair Ajit Pai's plan.

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