TELL CONGRESS: WE NEED NET NEUTRALITY MORE THAN EVER

Ajit Pai is lying again, boasting that his efforts to destroy net neutrality have encouraged ISPs to invest in broadband. In reality, big cable companies like AT&T and Comcast have slashed billions of dollars from programs that would provide high-speed Internet access to everyone in America. Now more than ever, we are in desperate need of broadband to ensure that we all have access to education, communication, and economic opportunities. Tell Congress: Restore net neutrality and protect our digital rights!

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Comment

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the existing digital divide in America. 22 percent of households in the U.S. don’t have home internet, including more than four million homes with school-age children. Millions of folks have lost their jobs, impacting their ability to afford Internet; poor families and people of color are particularly likely to be have been disconnected. Now more than ever, everyone needs to be able to get online. I’m writing to demand Congress pass funding to ensure Internet access for everyone. Specifically, Congress should:

- Subsidize Internet access for anyone who needs it for the duration of this crisis.

- Fund and expand programs that help people afford Internet access, like the FCC’s Lifeline and e-Rate initiatives. These programs already exist and can help students access educational resources, and help those who can’t afford broadband — a number that will grow as more people lose their jobs as this crisis continues.

- Fund broadband deployment to ensure that rural communities have Internet access.

- Pass the Save the Internet Act to ensure just and reasonable Internet service and prevent ISPs from throttling traffic, censoring content, and imposing unfair fees.

- Direct ISPs to suspend all data caps and fees, pause all disconnects for non-payment of broadband fees, and offer free home Internet to those in need during this crisis

It’s unrealistic to tell people to stay home without a way to connect to the outside world. Internet access is a human right and a public health imperative. I am calling for urgent action to ensure everyone is able to access the Internet now.

Thank you.

CLEAR

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Contact Congress

Fight for net neutrality

Ever since the FCC repealed net neutrality, ISPs like Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile have been throttling traffic "pretty much everywhere all the time." Worse yet, federal courts have refused to overturn the FCC's disastrous decision, leaving us with few options to restore freedom online.

Our last hope? Win net neutrality at the state level. This will show the federal government that the majority of Americans demand a free and open Internet, pressuring our lawmakers to enshrine net neutrality into national law once and for all. We've already won in California, and we're going to win in other states, too. But we need your support, now more than ever.

Here’s how you can help:

Speak out on social media. Here are some suggestions you can use to spread the word. And be sure to share our awesome graphics to get the word out.
Tell everyone to text WATCH to 687-88. They can set a reminder to watch the hearing and pressure their members of Congress to pass a clean bill from their smartphone.

Save the Internet Act of 2019

In 2015, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted the Open Internet Order to protect Internet users from ISPs throttling traffic, censoring content, and imposing unfair fees. But just a few years later, a new chairman of the FCC killed net neutrality by repealing the Open Internet order. It's clear that we can't count on unelected bureaucrats to consistently defend our online freedoms, and we can't rely on the courts to overrule disastrous policy decisions, either. We need strong legislation to protect net neutrality for as long as the Internet exists. The Save the Internet Act of 2019 is a simple, three-page bill that would restore the Open Internet Order enshrining net neutrality into law. Plain and simple. Read it for yourself below, then contact your Congressional lawmakers to urge them to support this important legislation:

S. 682 - The Save the Internet Act

A BILL

To restore the open internet order of the Federal Communications Commission

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the "Save the Internet Act of 2019".

SEC. 2. RESTORATION OF OPEN INTERNET ORDER.

(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section—

(1) the term "Commission" means the Federal Communications Commission, and

(2) the term "rule" has the meaning given such term in section 804 of title 5, United States Code.

(b) REPEAL OF RULE.—The Declaratory Ruling, Report and Order, and Order in the matter of restoring internet freedom that was adopted by the Commission on December 14, 2017 (FCC 17–166) shall have no force or effect.

(c) PROHIBITION ON REISSUED RULE OR NEW RULE.—The Commission may not reissue the Declaratory Ruling, Report and Order, and Order described in subsection (b) in substantially the same form, or issue a new rule that is substantially the same as that Declaratory Ruling, Report and Order, and Order, unless the reissued or new rule is specifically authorized by a law enacted after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(d) RESTORATION OF REPEALED AND AMENDED REGULATIONS.—The following are restored as in effect on January 19, 2017:

(1) The Report and Order on Remand, Declaratory Ruling, and Order in the matter of protecting and promoting the open internet that was adopted by the Commission on February 26, 2015 (FCC 15–24).

(2) Part 8 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations.

(3) Any other rule of the Commission that was amended or repealed by the Declaratory Ruling, Report and Order, and Order described in subsection (b).

Download the PDF

We're making Congress listen

Voters from across the political spectrum agree: they don't want their cable company to control what they see and do online. The FCC's reckless repeal of net neutrality has sparked an unprecedented backlash, as millions of Americans have contacted their lawmakers in protest. The numbers below represent actions taken through BattleForTheNet.com and its partners. Many more have taken action on other sites or contacted their lawmakers directly.

To help convince the House, contact congress now and add to these numbers.

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Emails sent to Congress

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Phone calls made to Congress

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Messages sent to Congress by text

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Websites sounding the alarm

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Businesses on Team Internet

View the Congressional Scoreboard

Our scoreboard keeps track of who really supports net neutrality. Members of Congress highlighted in blue are on Team Internet because they’ve cosponsored or voted for the Save the Internet Act. Lawmakers highlighted in red are on Team Cable because they are not yet cosponsors or voted against the bill.

What is net neutrality? Why does it matter?

Net neutrality is the principle that everyone should have access to websites and apps, preventing Internet providers like Comcast & Verizon from creating “fast lanes,” censoring content, throttling traffic and even outright blocking access to their competitor's products. This principle has guided the world wide web from the beginning, and has been protected by federal policy under Republican AND Democrat leadership since the early 2000s.

Unfortunately, Internet providers ignored this policy and even actively sued the federal government to destroy net neutrality protections … and they won. Their anti-consumer practices finally convinced the FCC to issue the Open Internet Order as a last resort in 2015. But under new leadership, the FCC has removed these regulations, threatening to end the web as we know it. A federal court ruling has opened up a path for net neutrality laws at the state and national level, giving open Internet supporters hope that the Save the Internet Act can enshrine net neutrality into law once and for all.

Want to learn more? Watch these videos!

John Oliver

Comedian. (Watch this first!)

Net Neutrality

A short explanation of what's at stake.

The Congressional Review Act

And how Congress can use it to overrule the FCC and defend net neutrality.

Vimeo

Why we need net neutrality

Tay Zonday

Singer. Actor. YouTube star.

Julia Reda

Member of European Parliament.

Bernie Sanders

Senator. Former presidential candidate.

Mignon Clyburn

FCC Commissioner.

John Oliver, pt. 2

Hilarious and updated for 2017.

Tim Wu

Law professor, with Colbert at Six Flags.

College Humor

NSFW.

Fight for the Future

The Internet is under attack. This is the Battle for the Net.

Burger King

Yes, Burger King. An amazing explanation.

We are Team Internet

Members of Team Internet support free speech and free markets online through meaningful, enforceable net neutrality laws. We are everyday Americans from across the political spectrum. We are thousands of small business owners. We are startups, tech giants and grassroots organizations with millions of members. Check out the list below to see who’s taken action to save net neutrality:

They are Team Cable

Team Cable wants to end net neutrality so they can control and tax the Internet. Team Cable lies about the effects of net neutrality on the free market and ignores blatant corruption in the regulatory process. If they get their way, we will all pay more money for worse Internet access. Independent voices will be stifled. And innovative start-ups will struggle to compete in the online marketplace.