Internet Sites Stage Slowdown Campaign For Equal Transmission Rules
By tech editor Ian Bush
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- You might see a few extra hourglasses or spinning wheels while browsing the web today. But it's not a sign the sites are slower -- it's a protest designed to fight for the Internet rule known as "net neutrality."
"Your Internet is slow enough already, and that's our point," says Evan Greer of "Fight For the Future." He wants you to holler at the FCC -- louder than the cable companies that want net neutrality rules redefined.
"You don't have to be a hardcore activist, a gamer, or a nerd to understand that no one wants to sit around waiting for the content that they love to load on the Internet, while monopolistic corporations get to pick and choose which sites get seen by the most people," he said.
His group is one of the organizers of the campaign. Its message is prominently featured on Netflix, Etsy, Reddit, and other sites, with a button that lets you contact Congress to tell them you oppose letting some companies pay to be able to reach you faster than others.
"This isn't about speed, it's about democracy," Greer notes.
But not everyone sees it that way. The group American Commitment is joining cable companies in calling on the feds not to reclassify the Internet as a public utility, saying increased regulation would hurt web surfers and business innovators.