Internet Technology

Tech companies from Netflix to Google protesting for Net Neutrality

Written by Andy Prosper

Amazon, Facebook, Netflix, Twitter, Reddit, and other major technology companies are supporting the “Day of Action”, which is the largest online protest in the history of the Internet, today as well as civil rights activists and activists. They are addressing the action day against the withdraw of net neutrality in the US initiated by the US telecoms regulator under the Trump administration.

The agency, headed by Trump’s former telecom lobbyist Ajit Pai, wants to make network providers far fewer targets and soften the strict rules on net neutrality introduced by the Obama administration. Currently, the competent authority FCC under the government of Donald Trump is testing proposals to abolish the open Internet. Trump himself also holds little of net neutrality. In a tweet, he described the strict rules introduced by his predecessor as “attack on the Internet.”

Telecom operators such as AT & T, Comcast and Verizon are supposed to restore the anti-grid neutrality regulations introduced under the Obama administration. The US Telecom Regulatory Authority FCC had initiated the abolition of grid neutrality in the US a few months ago. As the BBC reports, on the other hand, many tech giants and large Internet portals are protesting on Wednesday, including Netflix, Kickstarter, PornHub and Etsy.

Pornhub is also involved

On July 12th, as reported, on the Pornhub website, which attracts 75 million visitors every day, a banner will be found in the United States, which is committed to maintaining net neutrality in the US. “Without net neutrality, we could not have found Pornhub ten years ago,” says Cory Price, vice president of the porn website. “Without net neutrality, the Internet would be in the control of the cable companies and they would have an unfair power to determine the winners and losers on the market.”

Price refers to companies like Verizon, Comcast or AT & T, which would then determine which services would be “faster” and “slower” on their devices. “The porn industry has never called slower, slower, slower ‘. We’re more used to it, faster, faster, faster, “says Price,” Motherboard. ” Pornhub joins the action of the “Fight against Net Neutrality” protest initiative.

This would mean slow streaming, especially for video platforms consequences. In the course of the day, therefore, corresponding messages and banners will appear on the portals, indicating or even simulating the effect of missing network neutrality. Also the well-known actor and presenter Stephen Fry pointed out on Twitter on the consequences.

Important for the US economy

According to BBC information, around 80,000 websites and service providers have joined the protest. Amazon, Facebook and Google are also taking part, but have not yet provided any details about the nature of their protest. Curiously, AT & T also supports the protest, despite the fact that the company had spoken in the past against the net neutrality.

Pornhub, Reddit and Amazon are among the top 5 most visited sites in the US. The day will look much like the “Blackout” of SOPA. Many big Internet companies were also involved in the action against the censorship law.

The action is not the first protest against Trumps plans to abolish net neutrality in the US. Around 800 start-ups sent a letter to the new FCC boss, warning them about the consequences of abolishing net neutrality for the US economy and start-up culture.

About the author

Andy Prosper