Dozens of internet companies are putting the "spinning wheel" icon on their websites in the Internet Slowdown Day on September 10th, 2014. Despite the sites still run normally, this is indicating their increasing worry about the proposed new regulations that will mean extra charges for fast internet access.
Twitter, Netflix, Reddit, Tumblr, Vimeo, Kickstarter, and others are participating by "slowing down" their sites to show what happens when the new rules took effect.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said its proposals were designed to protect net neutrality. "[The loading wheel] explains what is at stake," said Evan Greer, Campaign Manager at Fight for the Future, one of the groups that organized the online action. "And it’s something we will see a lot more of if the FCC does not use its Title II authority."
The latest strategy to rescue net neutrality urges the FCC to reclassify the internet from an information service (Title I) to a telecommunications service (Title II). This would give the FCC the same authority over the internet it currently has over telecommunication companies, and allow it to establish robust net neutrality rules.
Net neutrality, or also called network neutrality and internet neutrality, is the principle that gives Internet Service Providers and the government to treat all data on the internet equally without discrimination. Net neutrality has been proposed to be the important factor of an open internet. And by treating users, contents, websites, platforms, equipments and modes of transportation, equally, net neutrality allows people on the internet to easily communicate and conduct business without interference of third parties (closed internet).
A Twitter spokesman said that: "We support the Internet Slowdown campaign and its efforts to draw public attention to a critically important issue. We're not planning to add a banner to our home page, but we'll participate in other ways."
Free Press, Reddit and Netflix will be joined by Mozilla, Upworthy, as well as Automattic. Others that take part are Boing Boing, Thunderclap, Urban Dictionary, Foursquare, Digg and Cheezburger.
"The cause of net neutrality is important to us as a business. It's important to our visitors, and it's important for our democracy. We're proud to take part in the Internet Slowdown and encourage others to join with us," said Erik Martin, General Manager at Reddit.
Paul Sieminski, General Counsel of Automattic said: "The free and open internet has been central to the economy and to global free expression. Everyone has to step up now and do everything they can to protect it."
The move from tech and internet companies came follows the proposal by the FCC, which would require telecommunication providers to ensure that "all users have access to an internet experience that is sufficiently robust, fast and effectively usable". The proposal came after a U.S Court of Appeals ruling in January 2014 found that broadband providers were not under an obligation to ensure all of the internet's traffic was treated equally.
In May 2014, more than 100 technology firms, including Microsoft, Google, Facebook and Twitter, oppose net neutrality and wrote to the FCC claiming the rules as technically and financially discriminating to internet companies.
Some of the Internet Slowdown Day organizers were also responsible for the "Internet Blackout Day" on January 18, 2012. The online campaign to protest SOPA and PIPA had over 115,000 participating websites.
No matter what regulations the FCC adopts, it is seen to rise another lawsuit. The weak rules FCC proposed in May has gathered many protesters, and if its next move adopts another discriminating rule, there will be fights about what "commercially reasonable" discrimination is.