Save the Internet!

Net neutrality is hanging on by the thinnest of threads. Last week, the FCC formally proposed new rules that would allow companies like Netflix to pay internet service providers like Comcast to have their content sent to customers at faster speeds. That decision, which divided the FCC along party lines, came after weeks of protest from consumer advocates who worry that the new rules would create internet "fast lanes" for companies that can afford to pay for faster speeds.

As the FCC voted, hundreds of protesters gathered outside its Washington, D.C. Headquarters, and demanded that the agency protect net neutrality and start regulating the internet like a public utility. This time around, the FCC didn't listen to protesters, and they voted on rules that could set up an internet that's divided between the haves and have-nots. However, as this comment period begins, our activism could be the only thing standing in the way of a pay-for-play internet.

Huge corporations that can afford hefty fees will be able to ensure that everyone can access their content. But, independent artists, journalists, and shows just like this one, may have no recourse if their material gets bumped into the slow lane. And, don't think for a second that internet providers like Comcast and Verizon won't pass that fee right on to the customer. This is a potential win-win for huge corporations, and a lose-lose for the rest of us.

Let the FCC know how you feel by leaving a comment at FCC.gov, and tell Chairman Wheeler to that these proposed rules do nothing to protect net neutrality. Let them know that the internet is our information commons and it should always remain open and free.

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