[su_label type=”info”]Letter to the Editor[/su_label]
Dear Editor,
Federal Communications Commission [FCC] Chair Ajit Pai—a former Verizon lawyer—is about to allow Comcast and Verizon slow the internet to a crawl and then force sites to pay for special “fast lanes.” If he does, giant monopolies will control the internet, forever.
Our democracy relies on a free, fair, and open internet. Every day, voters, activists and journalists rely on the FCC’s Net Neutrality protections to communicate freely online.
We rely on Net Neutrality to connect, organize and make change. Losing Net Neutrality protections now would stuff the pockets of Big Cable, put new fees on consumers and be absolutely devastating for our democracy.
Free speech must not be limited to corporations or restricted to individuals who can afford to pay premium rates; free speech must be available to anyone who wishes to use it.
Net Neutrality requires that internet providers treat all web traffic equally. It is the only thing stopping companies like Comcast and Verizon from controlling what we can see and say online—and from censoring or slowing down speech they don’t like.
Save the Free and Open Internet.
Peter Stewart,
San Francisco