We have net neutrality

Thankfully, we are now certain to have net neutrality. The fight against changing that situation has been won. It is also a victory for a type of civil rights action.

"Net neutrality is a civil rights issue – and it appears the FCC will soon implement real net neutrality protections, thanks in large part to civil rights activists.

Media and communications technology has always been an important factor in activism, because it mediates how activists can communicate with each other and to the world. During the civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s, organizers used phone trees and mimeographed pamphlets to distribute information and coordinate collective action. Black radio stations served as community bulletin boards and disseminated information about marches, police roadblocks, and voter registration.

Today’s civil rights activists have a much more powerful tool at our disposal – the open Internet. Our ability to be heard, counted, and visible in this democracy now depends on an open Internet, because it allows voices and ideas to spread based on their quality – not the amount of money behind them."

Continue reading this piece from The Hill here.

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