Christy Rodgers

Don't bow to big money on Net Neutrality--serve the citizenry instead

Net Neutrality is essential to free speech, equal opportunity and economic innovation on the Web. Since 2005, phone and cable companies have tried to establish themselves as the Internet’s gatekeepers and to discriminate against Web sites and services that they don’t like.

The idea that powerful companies which have already shown themselves willing to invade privacy, violate civil rights, and attempt to monopolize particular services could limit my access to information that is vital to my being an informed citizen--like non-profit advocacy group websites, formal and informal news services, etc, in favor of commercial content with limited if any public interest except entertainment (in which group I include most of the corporate news media sites), is absolutely unacceptable.

This would end the open Internet as we know it. It would damage my ability to connect with others, share information and participate in our democracy and economy. Congress and the FCC must ensure that broadband providers do not block, interfere with or discriminate against my Internet choices. It's no exaggeration to say the future of any semblance of real democracy in this country depends on it.