Net Neutrality Gains Support from 150 Nonprofit and Allied Organizations

[Source: Save the Internet, by Megan Tady, June 30, 2010]

Nonprofit organizations clearly understand the power of the Internet to help create social change, and yesterday 150 public interest and allied organizations signed a letter to the Federal Communications Commission in support of online freedom and Net Neutrality.

A diverse group of organizations, including Free Press, the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN), the National Organization for Women, ColorofChange.org, Miles for Cystic Fibrosis and Helping Hands Pet Rescue signed the letter.

Anyone working for change – from an individual activist to a large nonprofit organization – needs to have a Web presence. The open Internet allows organizations to share their causes with the world and mobilize people to act. We saw the enormous impact of the Web when, just eight days after the earthquake in Haiti, people had donated millions of dollars online to various charities to help with relief efforts.

These nonprofits, and the people who run them, are keenly aware of and concerned about the battle playing out in Washington over the future of the Internet, and they’re urging the FCC to move forward to protect Net Neutrality, the principle that protects our free speech online. The groups are in support of the FCC’s move to take the necessary steps to modernize its broadband policy framework.

The letter states:

      Net Neutrality is vital to ensuring that everyone has a voice on issues of public concern. Opponents to openness have claimed that Net Neutrality rules would give the government the power to "become the Web's traffic cop, shutting down free speech on the Internet." Nothing could be further from the truth. Without rules to prevent discrimination, Internet providers will be free to choose whose voices are more important and whose get left out.

      By enabling an open, diverse and free-flowing Web, Net Neutrality has unleashed a tidal wave of civic participation. Our organizations rely upon an open Internet to spread the word about our work, engage more people in our issues, and build support at the grassroots level.

The groups warn that “failure to protect the Internet would impair our ability to share information, empower people, and carry out our public interest work.”

If you run a nonprofit or a business and want to sign on to the letter, visit here. You can also stand by these organizations today by also urging the FCC to protect our nonprofits and our civic participation by protecting the Internet.