The battle to control our lives is an on going war, the corporate bodies of this capitalist world are continually seeking new ways to control every aspect of our lives, and it is all just for profit to their shareholders. The multi-national telecom giants are no different, they see the internet as something they can squeeze more money from, if they can just get their grubby hands on some sort of controlling mechanism, and they are working hard at it all the time. They have the money, the political connections, the lawyers and the time and they will use them all to get that advantage. What they should not have is the power to break the will of the people, that's up to us.
This appeal from OpenMedia:
We have just one week to stand against a plan, put forward by giant telecom conglomerates, to put a toll booth on the Internet. Please take a moment right now to use our high impact tool to put a stop to this horrible idea. Regulators in the European Union are about to review key Net Neutrality rules that fundamentally impact how the Internet works. Telecom companies are using this process as an opportunity to push for a scheme that would give them the power to put a toll booth on the Internet — making websites they don’t like slower and more expensive to access. Please, we have until July 18th to get on the public record — take quick moment to send a message to key decision makers while we still have time.The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) are responsible for these key rules[1] and they should enable equal access for all. But we know the telecom companies have powerful friends and lobbyists that have the ear of decision makers.[2] We have to make sure that so many of us speak up that we’re impossible to ignore.[3, 4, 5] We can’t afford for our favourite websites to become more expensive to access and slower to load — and whatever happens in Europe will will fundamentally impact how the borderless Internet works. We have to act now — we only have until July 18th to to get on the public record. Tell regulators: the Internet shouldn’t have a toll booth. The powerful chorus of open Internet supporters have won the battle for an equal Internet in India,[6] in the United States last month,[7] and are speaking out in droves in Canada.[8] We should get to decide how we use the Internet, — not powerful telecom gatekeepers with vested interests.[9] A free and open Internet levels the playing field for all and fosters incredible innovation, and if we don’t speak out now, we’re going to lose it. Tell regulators you’re willing to fight for an open Internet before the July 18 deadline.[10]P.S. At OpenMedia we’re always working to keep the Internet open, equal and surveillance-free. If you haven’t already, please chip in $10 a month to keep our small team fighting for your digital rights.Footnotes:
1. Draft BEREC Guidelines on implementation by National Regulators of European net neutrality rules: BEREC
2. 10 reasons not to trust BEREC on Net Neutrality: Strand Reports
3. Net Neutrality: A Victory for Digital Innovation: Recode
4. EU Internet Users Can Stand Up For Net Neutrality: Mozilla
5. Like FCC, BEREC bows to activists on open Internet: Tech Policy Daily
6. Big win for net neutrality: Telecom regulator prohibits discriminatory tariffs for data: Times of India
7. Tom Wheeler defeats the broadband industry: Net neutrality wins in court: Ars Technica
8. We have a huge opportunity to end data caps in Canada: OpenMedia
9. EU telcos offer to ramp up 5G effort in return for watered-down net neutrality rules: Total Telecom
10. Learn more at SaveTheInternet.eu, a coalition of which OpenMedia is a proud member: SaveTheInternet.eu
