WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, over 30 groups relaunched BattleForTheNet.com following the Federal Trade Commission’s (FCC) vote to move forward a rulemaking to restore net neutrality and Title II authority. The petition is designed to drive contacts to both the FCC and members of Congress in support of the commission’s move to restore neutrality. The groups involved with the campaign are calling this moment the “This is the best chance we’ve had to win a free and open internet…since the Trump administration’s disastrous decision to repeal net neutrality protections in 2017.”
Below are statements from key groups involved in this effort to build momentum in support of the FCC’s rulemaking and protect the proposal from attacks by telecom companies.
Maria Langholz, Communications Director, Demand Progress: “We are proud to relaunch Battle for the Net along with over 30 organizations representing millions of Americans. It is absolutely critical for the FCC to succeed in this process to restore net neutrality and Title II protections. We applaud the FCC for moving forward this proposal, and especially commend Chair Rosenworcel’s leadership on this issue. In addition to the commission, we impel members of Congress to stand with their constituents by supporting Title II reclassification.
“As the commission moves forward with this rulemaking, we know that Big Cable is going to pull out all the stops in an attempt to water down or even block the rules. That’s why we’re mobilizing the grassroots, making use of the years of organizing we and our partner organizations have done, to push this proposal through the finish line.”
Caitlin Seeley George, Campaigns and Managing Director, Fight for the Future: “Net neutrality has so much support across the political spectrum. And we’ve seen this support in action as millions of people have taken action over the years at the Battle for the Net hub in support of these common sense protections against Big Telecom’s abusive power. Now that the hurdles blocking the FCC from reinstating net neutrality have finally been cleared, they must listen to all of these supporters and swiftly move forward. Internet providers will do all they can to block the agency, spending obscene amounts of money to retain their power. But the FCC must listen to experts and the general public, and move forward with a strong rule to restore net neutrality and Title II protections.”
Joel Jerome Morales, Organizer, United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW): “Musicians have long supported net neutrality protections, because we know that a free and open internet is essential for us to reach our audiences and build sustainable careers. Musicians inevitably lose out as the web becomes more corporate-controlled and monopolized, particularly younger artists and working class artists who cannot pay for preferential treatment online. The restoration of net neutrality and Title II authority is essential for the creation of a fairer and more equal digital music landscape.”
Battle for the Net was originally launched in 2014 in support of strong net neutrality protections. The site has been the hub for some of the largest online days of activism in history, including the 2014 Internet Slowdown Day, which generated millions of comments and helped ensure passage of the 2015 Open Internet Order. In 2017 the Trump FCC reversed net neutrality rules, and the groups involved in the Battle for the Net campaign helped organize thousands of in-person protests across the country in opposition to the repeal.