A massive online backlash once knocked the FCC’s public web servers offline by overwhelming them with traffic, effectively simulating a DDoS and forcing officials to take notice.
Today, similar protections for an open internet are again under attack by a new administration, and citizens are responding with another wave of comments to preserve net neutrality under Title II authority.
Net neutrality is the principle that internet service providers must treat all lawful online traffic the same, without slowing, blocking, or favoring particular services.
Under Title II classification, broadband providers face limits on how they can interfere with or prioritize data flowing through their networks.
Many ISPs are more than simple access carriers: they operate streaming platforms, voice services, hosting and other products that compete with independent online services.
Title II prevents ISPs from tilting the playing field in favor of their own offerings by throttling rivals or granting special treatment to their own traffic.
One major threat is zero-rating: ISPs could offer to exempt certain companies’ traffic from customers’ data caps in exchange for payment.
That sounds appealing at first—unlimited Netflix or music that doesn’t count against your monthly cap—but it rewards the firms that can pay and punishes those that cannot.
If your preferred services don’t strike a deal with the ISP, you’ll face the same data limits while competing platforms that paid the fee gain a huge advantage.
The result: startups and smaller sites, even if superior in quality, risk losing users because they can’t afford preferential treatment.
We already see variants of this in mobile plans: “binge” or “sponsored data” offers from carriers have drawn criticism as anti-competitive experiments.
Another danger is paid prioritization—where a company pays for its traffic to be delivered faster than others—making rival services feel sluggish by comparison.
Imagine one search engine loading results significantly faster simply because it paid for priority; choice and competition would suffer.
Using a VPN doesn’t necessarily avoid these problems: the VPN’s traffic still traverses ISPs that can apply the same limits and manipulations, so you can be affected twice over.
Meanwhile, Americans already pay relatively high prices for internet access while ranking only modestly in average speeds globally.
Reclassifying ISPs from Title II to Title I would remove regulatory tools that prevent discriminatory practices and could lead to slower, more expensive, and less open internet access.
If ISPs start billing content providers for special treatment, those costs will likely be passed on to consumers through higher subscription fees or hidden charges.
The FCC chair at the time proposed such a reclassification, which would open the door to many of these harmful practices.
Public protests have made a difference before—remember Internet Slowdown Day in 2014, when many sites visibly demonstrated what the web could become without neutral rules?
A coordinated online protest was planned again for July 12, 2017, and companies respond when enough customers make their concerns loud and clear.
You can take several practical steps: tell the online services you use that net neutrality matters to you and ask them to support open internet policies.
Submit a public comment to the FCC in the relevant docket (look up proceeding number 17-108) expressing support for strong net neutrality backed by Title II oversight.
Consider switching to a local or smaller ISP if one is available in your area—voting with your wallet can signal that market concentration won’t be tolerated.
Finally, contact your state representative or other elected officials: let them know why an open, non-discriminatory internet matters to you and ask them to urge the FCC to protect net neutrality.
Collective attention and action from everyday users, service providers, and policymakers is what preserved net neutrality before—and can do so again.Our open internet principles face immediate threats from government attempts to dismantle them
Collective action is vital to protect equal access and prevent corporate control of online information
You can directly contribute to this crucial defense in two key ways
Join millions by adding your name to the official resistance petition demanding protection
Alternatively, provide essential resources by donating to fuel the frontline activists
Both paths converge at the central hub for this movement: https://www.savetheinternet.com/
Visit now to choose your method and become part of the safeguard effort
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