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Friend, big news! Free Press and several allies filed a brief last week to defend Net Neutrality in court.1
In case you missed it: Industry groups representing internet service providers (ISPs) like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon are suing to repeal the strong Net Neutrality rules and Title II classification the FCC restored in April. The agency's decision to reinstate its authority over broadband-internet access enables it to stop those same ISPs from harming internet users like you and me.
Title II is about so many rights and protections beyond Net Neutrality. We need a federal watchdog to protect everyone's access to the most essential communications platform of our time. And we refuse to surrender the progress we've made.
We've beaten back the ISPs' flimsy claims in court before, and we'll do it again. Donors play a crucial role in helping us fight attacks on the open internet we deserve, friend. Will you join our fight by making your first donation of $10 or any amount to our Net Neutrality Rapid-Response Fund today?
Here's what we're up against: Industry lobbyists argue, without proof, that the Trump-era repeal of Net Neutrality somehow spurred broadband deployment and speed increases while the rules' presence allegedly slows down such upgrades. 🙄
This is nonsense, as Free Press has shown time and time again by examining the companies' own financial statements and investor briefings. Drawing on this research, our brief corrects the industry's cherry-picked and inaccurate representations of history. 😤
On top of that, if the ISPs get their way, the court would likely further legitimize what's known as the major questions doctrine, which undermines the authority of federal agencies to take all kinds of meaningful actions, like ensuring workplace safety, enacting environmental protections and regulating various consumer products. Our brief argues that this doctrine doesn't apply here.
Bottom line: The FCC must be able to protect internet users from ISPs' privacy invasions, promote broadband competition and deployment, preserve reliable access in times of public-safety emergencies, and take action against hidden junk fees, data caps and billing rip-offs.
Are you with us? Make your first gift by donating to our Net Neutrality Rapid-Response Fund to help us defend a huge victory for the public interest and the internet as we know it.
Thank you for your support,
Yanni and the rest of the Free Press team
1. “Free Press and Allies Defend FCC's Net Neutrality Rules in Court,” Free Press, Sept. 12, 2024
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