Worst. Idea. Ever.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Steve Anderson" <contact@openmedia.org>
Date: May 13, 2014 10:15 AM
Subject: Worst. Idea. Ever.
To: <aquarianm@gmail.com>
Cc:

U.S. telecom giants are about to force many of your favorite websites into an Internet Slow Lane. U.S. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is about to give in to their demands but we can stop him.Daniel, we have just 48 hours until a crucial FCC meeting where this will be decided and we need you to speak out. Help us stuff the FCC comment system with our Say No to the Internet Slow Lane message right now.

Daniel,

One of the things we love the most about the Internet is the way it gives us the freedom to read and watch what we want, and express ourselves when we want, without anything getting in the way.

But that freedom is under grave threat - giant U.S. telecom conglomerates are about to force every web service that can't pay new expensive "prioritization" fees into an Internet Slow Lane¹.

Big Telecom's army of lobbyists have been pushing for these gatekeeper powers for years, and U.S. FCC Chair Tom Wheeler is about to give in.²

We only have 48 hours to tell the FCC to back off before they start putting this Internet Slow Lane plan into effect. Send your message now →

The impact of this Slow Lane plan will be felt worldwide³, – crippling your favorite websites and content, and making it more expensive for you to use the Internet. That's why we've partnered with The Nation magazine to help you speak out.

Big Telecom wants to make your Internet look a lot more like cable TV, where they can pick and choose what you can watch. They're trying to force you to watch the content they own, by slowing everything else to a standstill.

Let's stuff the FCC comment system with our Say No to the Internet Slow Lane message right now. We only have 48 hours.

This could be one of the most important decisions ever made about the Internet. If it goes the wrong way, the Internet will change forever -- it will be more centralized, controlled, and costly.

Defenders of the open Internet are actually camping in growing numbers outside the FCC building right now.⁴ Daniel, can we count on you to do your part to help stop the Internet Slow Lane? It just takes a second.

Our recent Stop The Secrecy campaign caused the most powerful member of the U.S. Congress on trade to speak out about secrecy and commit to change. We can have that kind of impact here if we all join in.

Thank you for standing with us,

Steve and Josh, on behalf of your OpenMedia team

P.S. This is going to be a crucial 48 hours for the future of the Internet and we're up against some really deep-pocketed opponents. Can you chip in a few bucks so we can make this campaign as big as possible?

 

Footnotes

[1] Net Neutrality, Monopoly, and the Death of the Democratic Internet. Source: Motherboard

[2] FCC to propose new 'net neutrality' rules. Source: Wall Street Journal

[3] Internet traffic from around the globe passes through U.S. servers, peering, and content delivery networks. As a result, it's likely that web traffic from outside the U.S. could get caught in the slow lane. Source: Motherboard.

[4] Protesters set up camp at net neutrality rally outside FCC headquarters. Source: The Guardian.

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