Friend, it’s been nearly 20 years since Net Neutrality first came under threat.

And as Halloween approaches, there's something truly frightening brewing — not in haunted houses, but in court. On Oct. 31, oral arguments will take place in the industry-backed lawsuit to repeal the strong Net Neutrality protections and Title II classification that the FCC reinstated earlier this year.

What’s scarier: a moonlit corn maze or the interest groups representing internet service providers (ISPs) that are arguing — without proof — that Net Neutrality hinders innovation and slows down internet speeds? OK, maybe they both make the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Free Press might not have an official stance on the existence of ghosts, but we know where we stand on make-believe legal claims: We’ve debunked the ISPs’ tired, cherry-picked and inaccurate representations of history in the legal brief we filed with allies last month, and we're ready to do it again in court next week.

Donors play a crucial role in helping us fight attacks on the open internet. Will you join our fight by donating $10 or any amount to our Net Neutrality Rapid-Response Fund today?

This horror-movie plot is familiar: As soon as the FCC adopts Net Neutrality rules, ISPs sue to overturn them like zombies rising from the dead. This has happened over and over again over the last two decades.

We’ll (once again) push back on these lies when we make our case in court. We’ll also point out that without the FCC’s modest rules, ISPs could interfere with or discriminate against certain types of internet traffic and customers — like slowing down or blocking competing streaming services or websites publishing content the ISP doesn’t like for political reasons.

And just in case you think it couldn’t get any worse, the bad horror-movie sequel is quite disturbing … if the ISPs get their way, the court could further entrench what's known as the major questions doctrine, which undermines federal agencies’ authority to protect the air we breathe or the products we consume. (We’ll argue that this doctrine doesn't apply here.)

It's clear: The FCC must be able to protect internet users from ISPs' privacy invasions, promote broadband competition and deployment, ensure reliable access during public-safety emergencies, and take action against hidden fees, data caps and billing rip-offs.

We urgently need your help to ensure we have the necessary resources to win: Donate to our Net Neutrality Rapid-Response Fund today.

Thank you for your support,

Yanni Chen
Policy Counsel at Free Press

P.S. Your support today could help us win this critical court battle against ISPs — rush a donation to our Net Neutrality Rapid-Response Fund.