Dec 13, 2017
Ahead of a crucial vote that threatens the future of the Internet "as we know it" at the Federal Communications Commission scheduled for Thursday, defenders of net neutrality overnight went to the commission's headquarters in Washington, DC where they projected various messages--including "Property of Verizon"--on the building to draw attention to the corporate interests at play behind the proposal by FCC chairman Aijit Pai, a former lobbyist who worked for the telecom giant.
\u201c#NetNeutrality activists projected messages on the facade of the @FCC last night. This one was disturbingly spot on:\u201d— Tim Karr (@TimKarr@mastodon.social) (@Tim Karr (@TimKarr@mastodon.social)) 1513169213
Just last week, Pai was the keynote speaker at a corporate forum held at Verizon headquarters and earlier this week he reportedly joked at a dinner event about "being a puppet" for his former employer.
While Pai has tried to characterize net neutrality--a concept that is foundational and essential if the Internet is to remain a digital bastion of free-flowing ideas and information unencumbered by corporate manipulation and mastery--as a heavey-handed "regulatory burden" of government, that claim has been endlessly debunked and discredited.
"The FCC's rushed and technically incorrect proposed order to abolish net neutrality protections without any replacement is an imminent threat to the internet we worked so hard to create," read an open letter sent by pioneers of the Internet earlier this. "It should be stopped."
As Thursday's vote nears, defenders of the Internet from across the political spectrum and from all walks of life were letting their voices be heard online as they called on others to call their members of Congress and petition the FCC to abandon its effort to destroy net neutrality:
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Ahead of a crucial vote that threatens the future of the Internet "as we know it" at the Federal Communications Commission scheduled for Thursday, defenders of net neutrality overnight went to the commission's headquarters in Washington, DC where they projected various messages--including "Property of Verizon"--on the building to draw attention to the corporate interests at play behind the proposal by FCC chairman Aijit Pai, a former lobbyist who worked for the telecom giant.
\u201c#NetNeutrality activists projected messages on the facade of the @FCC last night. This one was disturbingly spot on:\u201d— Tim Karr (@TimKarr@mastodon.social) (@Tim Karr (@TimKarr@mastodon.social)) 1513169213
Just last week, Pai was the keynote speaker at a corporate forum held at Verizon headquarters and earlier this week he reportedly joked at a dinner event about "being a puppet" for his former employer.
While Pai has tried to characterize net neutrality--a concept that is foundational and essential if the Internet is to remain a digital bastion of free-flowing ideas and information unencumbered by corporate manipulation and mastery--as a heavey-handed "regulatory burden" of government, that claim has been endlessly debunked and discredited.
"The FCC's rushed and technically incorrect proposed order to abolish net neutrality protections without any replacement is an imminent threat to the internet we worked so hard to create," read an open letter sent by pioneers of the Internet earlier this. "It should be stopped."
As Thursday's vote nears, defenders of the Internet from across the political spectrum and from all walks of life were letting their voices be heard online as they called on others to call their members of Congress and petition the FCC to abandon its effort to destroy net neutrality:
Ahead of a crucial vote that threatens the future of the Internet "as we know it" at the Federal Communications Commission scheduled for Thursday, defenders of net neutrality overnight went to the commission's headquarters in Washington, DC where they projected various messages--including "Property of Verizon"--on the building to draw attention to the corporate interests at play behind the proposal by FCC chairman Aijit Pai, a former lobbyist who worked for the telecom giant.
\u201c#NetNeutrality activists projected messages on the facade of the @FCC last night. This one was disturbingly spot on:\u201d— Tim Karr (@TimKarr@mastodon.social) (@Tim Karr (@TimKarr@mastodon.social)) 1513169213
Just last week, Pai was the keynote speaker at a corporate forum held at Verizon headquarters and earlier this week he reportedly joked at a dinner event about "being a puppet" for his former employer.
While Pai has tried to characterize net neutrality--a concept that is foundational and essential if the Internet is to remain a digital bastion of free-flowing ideas and information unencumbered by corporate manipulation and mastery--as a heavey-handed "regulatory burden" of government, that claim has been endlessly debunked and discredited.
"The FCC's rushed and technically incorrect proposed order to abolish net neutrality protections without any replacement is an imminent threat to the internet we worked so hard to create," read an open letter sent by pioneers of the Internet earlier this. "It should be stopped."
As Thursday's vote nears, defenders of the Internet from across the political spectrum and from all walks of life were letting their voices be heard online as they called on others to call their members of Congress and petition the FCC to abandon its effort to destroy net neutrality:
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.