Day of Action to Save Net Neutrality
{{Short description|2017 online rights protest}}
The Day of Action to Save Net Neutrality was an event on July 12, 2017, in which various organizations and individuals advocated for net neutrality in the United States. The event was a response to plans by Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai to end United States government policies which establish net neutrality. Over 50,000 websites, including many organizations, contributed activism after Fight for the Future, Demand Progress, and Free Press convened the event.{{cite news|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/3207564/internet/net-neutrality-the-july-12-internet-wide-day-of-action-protest.html|title=Net Neutrality: What happened during the July 12 Internet-Wide Day of Action protest|last=Velasco|first=Haley|date=11 July 2017|work=PC World|accessdate=13 July 2017}} The group called it "the largest online protest in history", a term which had previously referred to protests against Internet censorship in 2012.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jul/12/net-neutrality-fcc-day-of-action-protest-internet|title=Trump's 'war on the open internet': tech firms join day of action for net neutrality|last=Rushe|first=Dominic|date=12 July 2017|work=The Guardian|accessdate=13 July 2017}}
Goals
The event sought to contact members of Congress and the FCC. The protest noted that Ajit V. Pai formerly worked at Verizon, a company which opposes net neutrality.{{cite web|last1=Neff|first1=Lisa|title=Worldwide web action planned to defend net neutrality|url=http://www.wisconsingazette.com/news/worldwide-web-action-planned-to-defend-net-neutrality/article_05f0eee4-5502-11e7-801c-e3d850c3d00d.html|website=Wisconsin Gazette|language=en|date=19 June 2017}}
Participants
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- Amazon{{cite web|last1=Roberts|first1=Jeff John|title=Amazon Just Changed the Net Neutrality Debate|url=http://fortune.com/2017/06/06/net-neutrality-amazon/|website=Fortune|publisher=Time Inc.|date=6 June 2017}}
- American Civil Liberties Union{{cite web|last1=Rushe|first1=Dominic|title=Net neutrality: Amazon among top internet firms planning day of action|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jun/06/net-neutrality-amazon-etsy-kickstarter-protest|website=The Guardian|date=6 June 2017}}
- American Library Association
- AT&T{{cite web|title=AT&T Joins Protest In Favor of Net Neutrality Rules It Hates|url=http://fortune.com/2017/07/11/net-neutrality-att-fcc/|website=Fortune|accessdate=11 July 2017}}
- Bittorrent Inc.
- Center for Media Justice
- Cracked.com{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3JQcNTbcjE|title=How You Can Stick It To Comcast And Verizon Today - SOME NEWS SPECIAL REPORT (Net Neutrality)|last=Cracked|date=12 July 2017|publisher=|via=YouTube}}
- CREDO Mobile
- Demand Progress
- DeviantArt
- Discord{{cite web|url=https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/websites-net-neutrality-protest/|title=Do you care about net neutrality? Because all of your favorite websites do|date=8 July 2017|publisher=The Daily Dot}}
- Dreamhost
- Etsy
- Facebook{{cite web|last1=Statt|first1=Nick|title=Facebook and Google will participate in next week's big net neutrality protest|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/7/15938022/facebook-goolge-net-neutrality-protest-day-of-action-fcc|website=The Verge|publisher=Vox Media|date=7 July 2017}}
- GitHub
- Greenpeace
- Kickstarter
- Kink.com
- MoveOn.org
- Mozilla Foundation
- Netflix{{cite web|last1=Breland|first1=Ali|title=Netflix to join net neutrality 'day of action'|url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/338004-netflix-to-participate-in-net-neutrality-day-of-action/|website=The Hill|date=15 June 2017}}
- Nextdoor
- Organizing for Action
- Pantheon Systems
- Patreon
- plug.dj{{cite web|title=Today, July 12th, is Net Neutrality Day and plug.dj shows {{sic|it|'s|nolink=y|expected=its}} support for internet not limited or slowed by Internet Service Providers!|url=https://twitter.com/plugdj/status/885247579012734976|date=12 July 2017}}
- Pornhub{{cite web|last1=Cole|first1=Samantha|title=Pornhub Will Show Its 75 Million Daily Visitors Why Net Neutrality Matters|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/pornhub-will-show-its-75-million-daily-visitors-why-net-neutrality-matters/|website=Motherboard|publisher=Vice Media|language=en-us|date=14 June 2017}}
- Private Internet Access
- Reddit{{cite web|last1=Brodkin|first1=Jon|title=Amazon and Reddit try to save net neutrality rules in "day of action"|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/06/amazon-and-reddit-try-to-save-net-neutrality-rules-in-day-of-action/|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us|date=6 June 2017}}
- RedTube
- Shapeways
- Spotify{{cite web|last1=Burns|first1=Janet|title=Google, Facebook And Spotify Will Fight For Net Neutrality This Week|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/janetwburns/2017/07/11/google-facebook-and-spotify-will-fight-for-net-neutrality-this-week/#7d2a27922512|website=Forbes|date=11 July 2017}}
- Stack Exchange{{cite web|title=Net Neutrality and Stack Overflow / Stack Exchange|url=https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/297816/net-neutrality-and-stack-overflow-stack-exchange}}
- Tumblr{{cite web|title=Tumblr Staff - The Internet Needs You, You're Up Again|url=https://staff.tumblr.com/post/162900642426/the-internet-needs-you-youre-up-again|language=en-us|date=12 July 2017}}
- Twitter{{cite web|last1=Breland|first1=Ali|title=Twitter joins pro-net neutrality 'Day of Action'|url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/339044-twitter-joins-net-neutrality-day-of-action/|website=The Hill|date=22 June 2017}}
- Vimeo
- xHamster{{cite web|last1=Cole|first1=Samantha|title=Porn Companies Tell Us Why the End of Net Neutrality Will Make Porn Boring|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/porn-companies-tell-us-why-the-end-of-net-neutrality-will-make-porn-boring/|website=Motherboard|publisher=Vice Media|language=en-us|date=22 June 2017}}
- Y Combinator
- Zombo.com{{cite web|title=Zombo.com changes its webpage for the first time in 18 years.|url=http://www.zombo.com/|date=12 July 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712144725/http://www.zombo.com/|archivedate=12 July 2017}}
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Netflix CEO Reed Hastings publicly stated that net neutrality was no longer a primary concern for Netflix and that it would not participate.{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2017/06/06/net-neutrality-supporters-plan-july-12-day-action/102543796/|title=Amazon plans 'day of action' for Net neutrality — but not Netflix|last=Snider|first=Mike|date=6 June 2017|work=USA Today|access-date=13 July 2017|language=en}}{{cite web|url=https://consumerist.com/2017/05/31/netflix-doesnt-care-as-much-about-net-neutrality-anymore-because-its-big-enough-not-to/|title=Netflix Doesn't Care As Much About Net Neutrality Anymore Because It's Big Enough Not To|date=31 May 2017|website=Consumerist|publisher=Consumer Reports|last1=Cox|first1=Kate}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/31/15719824/netflix-ceo-reed-hastings-net-neutrality-not-our-battle|title=Netflix CEO says net neutrality is 'not our primary battle'|last=Bohn|first=Dieter|date=31 May 2017|work=The Verge|access-date=12 July 2017}} Netflix later reversed their position and decided to support the campaign.{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2017/06/06/net-neutrality-supporters-plan-july-12-day-action/102543796/|title=Amazon plans 'day of action' for Net neutrality — but not Netflix|date=6 June 2017|website=USA Today|language=en|last1=Snider|first1=Mike}}{{cite web|url=https://consumerist.com/2017/06/15/netflix-changes-its-mind-decides-maybe-it-does-care-about-net-neutrality-again/|title=Netflix Changes Its Mind, Decides Maybe It Does Care About Net Neutrality Again|date=15 June 2017|website=Consumerist|publisher=Consumer Reports|last1=Morran|first1=Chris}} Prior to the Day of Action there was speculation Tumblr would not participate after Verizon acquired their parent company, Yahoo!.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/21/15816974/verizon-tumblr-net-neutrality-internet-politics-david-karp|title=Verizon is killing Tumblr's fight for net neutrality|last=Tiffany|first=Kaitlyn|date=2017-06-21|website=The Verge|access-date=2017-07-12}} Tumblr would in fact be a noted participant,{{Cite news|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2017/07/12/how_major_websites_are_marking_today_s_net_neutrality_protest.html|title=How Major Websites Are Marking Today's Net Neutrality Protest|last=Cabral|first=Angelica|date=2017-07-12|work=Slate|access-date=2017-07-12|language=en-US|issn=1091-2339}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2017/07/12/internet-rallies-around-fight-net-neutrality/|title=The internet rallies around the fight for net neutrality|website=Engadget|date=12 July 2017 |access-date=2017-07-12}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.slashgear.com/how-to-join-the-internets-day-of-action-to-save-net-neutrality-now-12491303/|title=How to join the Internet's Day of Action to save Net Neutrality NOW - SlashGear|website=www.slashgear.com|date=12 July 2017 |language=en-US|access-date=2017-07-13}} with their logo featured prominently on Battle for the Net's website along with other major supporters.{{Cite web|url=https://www.battleforthenet.com/july12/#participants|title=The FCC wants to destroy net neutrality and give giant cable companies control over the Internet|publisher=Fight for the Future|website=Battle For The Net|language=en|access-date=2017-07-12}}
Reactions
Wired commented that the activism was a result of opposing sides of large organizations, with traditional telecom organizations as the target of protest and new media organizations as the protestors.{{cite web|last1=Ramspott|first1=Frank|title=Why Net Neutrality Matters|url=https://www.wired.com/story/why-net-neutrality-matters-even-in-the-age-of-oligopoly/|website=www.wired.com|date=22 June 2017}} Recode criticized companies such as Facebook and Google for holding back and posting messages that were unlikely to reach a large fraction of their users.{{cite web|url=https://www.recode.net/2017/7/13/15964766/net-neutrality-protest-day-of-action-2017-data-fcc|title=If you blinked, you missed yesterday's net neutrality protest|first=Tony|last=Romm|publisher=Recode|date=2017-07-13|accessdate=2017-07-13}}{{cite web|url=https://theringer.com/day-of-action-to-save-net-neutrality-protest-39f2ba5d170e|title=The Net Neutrality "Protest" Isn't A Protest|first=Victor|last=Luckerson|publisher=The Ringer|date=2017-07-12|accessdate=2017-07-13}}
In response to the protest, some of the targeted ISPs stated that they supported the spirit of net neutrality but not the specific regulations passed in 2010 and 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/12/15958030/net-neutrality-day-of-action-internet-companies-list|title=Here's how the Internet's net neutrality day of action unfolded|first=Colin|last=Lecher|publisher=The Verge|date=2017-07-12|accessdate=2017-07-13}} Comcast called them "outdated" and Verizon called them "1930s style". Despite AT&T's opposition to net neutrality rules, a statement on the company webpage stated that it was "joining" the protest. AT&T's participation was rejected by the principal organizers of the event.{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2017/07/12/how-isps-responding-internets-net-neutrality-protest/473182001/|title=Internet providers respond to the Internet's huge net neutrality protest|first1=Madeline|last1=Purdue|first2=Rachel|last2=Sandler|publisher=USA Today|date=2017-07-12|accessdate=2017-07-13}}
See also
References
Further reading
- {{cite web|last1=Greer|first1=Evan|title=Major web companies and public interest groups announce Internet-Wide Day of Action to Save Net Neutrality|url=https://www.fightforthefuture.org/news/2017-06-06-major-web-companies-and-public-interest-groups/|website=Fight for the Future|date=6 June 2017}} This is the original press release announcing the event.
External links
- {{official website|https://old.battleforthenet.com/july12/}}
Category:2017 in American politics
Category:Internet-based and online protests
Category:Internet-related activism
Category:July 2017 in the United States