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Operation #OneMoreVote: With Future of Net Neutrality at Stake, Major Websites Mobilize for Internet-Wide Day of Action

"There are 50 U.S. senators who have a decision to make: are they going to listen to lobbyists who are paid to lie to them, or are they going to listen to their constituents and small businesses in their district?" said Evan Greer of Fight for the Future. (Image: Fight for the Future)

Operation #OneMoreVote: With Future of Net Neutrality at Stake, Major Websites Mobilize for Internet-Wide Day of Action

"We've shown time and time again that when the internet comes together, we can stop censorship and corruption. Now, we have to do it again!"

With FCC chair Ajit Pai's net neutrality repeal plan officially published in the Federal Register, the future of the open internet is in doubt--and a coalition of major websites and advocacy groups is mobilizing in a last-ditch effort to save it.

"Make no mistake: every member of Congress who fails to publicly support the CRA is casting their vote against net neutrality, and will be seen by voters as an enemy of Internet freedom come election time."
--Evan Greer, Fight for the Future

On Tuesday, dozens of sites--including Reddit, Etsy, Tumblr, and Medium--will take part in an internet-wide day of action called Operation #OneMoreVote, which refers to the final vote needed for the Senate to pass a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would restore net neutrality by repealing Pai's plan.

"The CRA is a simple up or down vote on the future of the free and open internet," Evan Greer, campaign director at Fight for the Future, said in a statement on Monday. "There are 50 U.S. senators who have a decision to make: are they going to listen to lobbyists who are paid to lie to them, or are they going to listen to their constituents and small businesses in their district? Internet users need net neutrality protections now."

In an effort to place pressure on members of Congress who have yet to support the CRA, websites will be displaying banners, videos, and other alerts urging Americans "to flood lawmakers with calls, emails, and tweets."

"We'll provide tools for everyone to make it super easy for your followers/visitors to take action," reads the day of action's official website. "We've shown time and time again that when the internet comes together, we can stop censorship and corruption. Now, we have to do it again!"

Building on digital efforts to save net neutrality from the Republican-controlled FCC, internet defenders are also planning to rally outside of the Senate building in Washington on Tuesday to demand that their representatives side with the vast majority of Americans over the interests of the telecom industry.

Activists also plan to protest outside of the offices of several Republican senators who have yet to support the CRA, which was unveiled by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) in December shortly following the FCC's vote to kill net neutrality in December.

"Make no mistake: every member of Congress who fails to publicly support the CRA is casting their vote against net neutrality, and will be seen by voters as an enemy of Internet freedom come election time," Greer concluded.

If the CRA makes it through the Senate, it will need 218 votes in the House--a simple majority--to proceed to President Donald Trump's desk.

The House CRA, crafted by Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), already has over 100 co-sponsors.

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