A day after the Internet Slowdown protest calling for net neutrality — the principle that all online traffic should be treated equally — here’s what we know.
The protest, which used “loading” symbols to signify sl0w-loading websites, encouraged enough people to contact the FCC that the number of related comments broke the record amount of 1.4 million comments the agency received after the famous Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl.
According to the advocacy groups that organized the Internet Slowdown, as of 10 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday: Congress received more than 2 million phone calls and emails as a result of the protest; more than 722,000 comments were submitted to the FCC; and more than 10,000 websites participated.
“Internet users spoke out loud and clear on Wednesday. They’re united against FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s plan to allow fast and slow lanes on the Internet,” said Free Press Action Fund President and CEO Craig Aaron in an emailed statement. Free Press Action Fund was one of the protest’s organizers.
We’ve mentioned that among the big companies supporting the protest was Netflix, which has been very vocal about its support for net neutrality and its opposition to Internet fast lanes. It has complained about having to pay “tolls” to broadband providers in order to ensure smooth delivery of content to its customers.
What about other big tech companies? Well, Wednesday for the first time, Google voiced its support for net neutrality. And it did so on its own, not just as a signatory to a joint industry letter. (In light of reports that Google pays broadband providers for direct connections that allow for fast delivery of online traffic, we had asked the company for comment about its views on net neutrality in the past, but were simply referred to The Internet Association.) Now, the Internet giant says “the stakes are higher than ever,” and that “no Internet access provider should block or degrade Internet traffic, nor should they sell ‘fast lanes’ that prioritize particular Internet services over others.” (Hat tip to the Washington Post.)
There are four days till the Federal Communications Commission’s deadline for public comments about its proposed Open Internet plan.
Photo: FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler at a meeting about the agency’s proposed Open Internet rules on May 15, 2014 at the FCC headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
