Internet Slowdown protest: Top web companies to join strike for net neutrality
Leading web companies like Mozilla, Foursquare and Reddit will take part in the Internet Slowdown protest next week to urge US authorities to change their view on a proposal that allows the creation of “fast lanes” on the internet for some companies.
The protesting companies will display a widget with a "loading" symbol on their websites to show how the internet would look should the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) go ahead with the proposal, thus overturning "net neutrality" rules.
The FCC proposed rules will allow cable giants like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon to create a two-tiered internet, with “slow lanes” for most internet companies, and “fast lanes” for corporations that are willing to pay extra for a faster service.
According to the new rules cable companies would have the power to discriminate against online content and applications, shake sites down for fees, block content for political reasons, and make it easier for internet users to view content the cable companies own.
Some of the world’s largest internet companies, including Etsy, Kickstarter, Mozilla, Reddit, imgur, Foursquare, Vimeo, and Wordpress announced on Thursday they will join more than 35 advocacy organizations and hundreds of thousands of activists on September 10 to show how the internet might look if the FCC’s proposed rules go into effect.
However the FCC has left open the possibility of reclassifying internet service as a telecommunications service, and require internet service providers to deliver all content at equal speeds.
The protest comes just five days before the FCC’s next comment deadline on September 15th.
