It sounds ridiculous, and it is. But it's also true.
Right now, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is deciding whether to give Comcast what it wants on “Net Neutrality”. Comcast's vision is an Internet where Big Cable literally decides which sites get fast Internet access (rich corporate buddies), and who gets stuck in the slow lane (everyone else).
And Google is refusing to raise its voice against this Big Cable-controlled Internet.
Google has stood with us to help save the Internet before. But now it’s employed a Gingrich-era Republican as its head lobbyist in DC, who’s dictating Google’s policy on Internet freedom and getting cozy with Comcast. We can’t let this continue.
We know we have allies in Google -- but the company’s leadership needs to hear us and feel our force. Google’s motto says “Don’t be evil”. But now it’s just being pathetic.Google was crucial to the last massive movement to save the Internet, when it blacked out its website to protest the SOPA and PIPA Internet censorship bills in the US Congress.
Net Neutrality matters. It’s what keeps the Internet open, democratic and fast for everyone, and big cable companies like Comcast are spending millions to kill it. They want to create an Internet “slow lane” -- forcing websites to pay a premium just to get high-speed connections. This could mean that only big corporations with the money to pay Comcast could get their content into our homes, effectively deciding what we get to access, and what we don’t.
Already, major companies like Netflix, FourSquare, KickStarter, Mozilla, Reddit and Vimeo have spoken out and demanded the Federal Communications Commission upholds Net Neutrality. But with Comcast, Verizon and other big companies lobbying hard against, Google’s silence is tremendously powerful. Insiders say that Google speaking up for “Title II” regulation of Net Neutrality -- the rules needed to hold Comcast to account and keep the Internet open -- would be a game changer.
Tell Google to speak up now and defend Net Neutrality from Comcast.
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More information:
Google is sitting out the net neutrality fight. Here are 4 possible reasons Gigaom.com, 14 October 2014
Google’s Brin calls SOPA censorship akin to China, Iran The Washington Post, 15 December 2011