April, 27 2010, 02:14pm EDT
250,000 People Ask the FCC to Save the Internet
Free Press, ColorofChange.org, CREDO Action, MoveOn.org and Others Urge the FCC to Act Now
WASHINGTON
Members of the SavetheInternet.com
coalition collected nearly 250,000 signatures on petitions asking the
Federal Communications Commission to take swift action to protect the
open Internet.
An April 6 federal appeals court decision left the agency's
authority to protect Internet users in legal limbo. The signers urged
the FCC to reclassify broadband as a Title II "telecommunications
service" under the Communications Act, in order to restore the agency's
ability to stop phone and cable companies from controlling the free flow
of communications online.
The coalition, which includes Free Press, ColorofChange.org,
CREDO, MoveOn.org, ACLU and hundreds of others, is encouraging the FCC
to put the public interest first and to keep the Internet open to all.
"If the FCC fails to act, it will diminish the accessibility
and utility of the Internet for everyone," said Misty Perez
Truedson of Free Press, which organized the coalition. "We need
to establish clear rules of the road to protect consumers."
"The Internet holds truly revolutionary potential to give
marginalized communities a more powerful political voice and connect
them with 21st-century economic opportunity," said James Rucker,
executive director of ColorOfChange.org. "But that potential can only
be realized if the Internet remains an open communications network, free
from discrimination by corporate gatekeepers."
"A free and open Internet is an important part of
21st-century democracy," said Becky Bond, political
director of CREDO Action. "The FCC must take action to ensure that big
corporations don't discriminate when it comes to the ability of citizens
to access information over the Internet."
The SavetheInternet.com coalition is made up of hundreds of
groups from across the political spectrum that are concerned about
maintaining a free and open Internet. No corporation or political party
funds the coalition's efforts. The coalition is coordinated by Free
Press, a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media.
Free Press was created to give people a voice in the crucial decisions that shape our media. We believe that positive social change, racial justice and meaningful engagement in public life require equitable access to technology, diverse and independent ownership of media platforms, and journalism that holds leaders accountable and tells people what's actually happening in their communities.
(202) 265-1490LATEST NEWS
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