Reddit, Twitter, and 200 others say ending net neutrality could ruin Cyber Monday
More than 200 businesses and trade organizations have signed a letter to the FCC asking that the agency reconsider its plan to end net neutrality. The letter is signed by an array of big and recognizable tech and web companies: that includes Airbnb, Automattic (which owns WordPress), Etsy, Foursquare, GitHub, Pinterest, Reddit, Shutterstock, Sonos, Square, Squarespace, Tumblr (certainly to the displeasure of its owner, Verizon), Twitter, and Vimeo, among quite a few others.
The letter is being released on Cyber Monday and speaks directly to the internet’s constantly growing role in the US economy. “The internet is increasingly where commerce happens,” the letter says. It cites figures saying that $3.5 billion in online sales happed last year on Cyber Monday and $3 billion on Black Friday. Throughout all of last year, online purchases accounted for $400 billion in sales.
“A FEW POWERFUL CABLE AND PHONE COMPANIES PICKING WINNERS AND LOSERS INSTEAD OF CONSUMERS”
“This economic growth is possible because of the free and open internet,” the letter says. Our current net neutrality rules allow all businesses to compete equally, the companies write. But without those rules, online businesses may be stymied by internet providers that prioritize their own interests. “An internet without net neutrality protections would be the opposite of the open market, with a few powerful cable and phone companies picking winners and losers instead of consumers.”
The lack of rules, they say, could force businesses into internet slow lanes. Or they could be blocked altogether, or forced to pay a toll. “This would put small and medium-sized businesses at a disadvantage and prevent innovative new ones from even getting off the ground,” the letter says.
The FCC intends to vote on its proposal to remove net neutrality rules on December 14th. While there’s been an outpouring of opposition, it’s not likely to make a difference — FCC commissioners are appointed to five year terms, so they don’t have to answer to voters next year like a lot of other representatives do. The three Republican commissioners outnumber the two Democratic commissioners, and so the proposal to end net neutrality is almost certain to pass.
What happens after that is what’ll really be worth watching. The FCC will have to defend its changes in court, and the unanswered concerns of web companies — like those signing this letter — may play a role. Letters like this can also help to raise public awareness and push Congress toward considering legislation to eventually enshrine similar rules in law. For now, it seems that anything like that is still a long ways off. But it’s clear that this is one of the rare issues where quite a few large and powerful companies are aligned with consumers.
The letter is being released on Cyber Monday and speaks directly to the internet’s constantly growing role in the US economy. “The internet is increasingly where commerce happens,” the letter says. It cites figures saying that $3.5 billion in online sales happed last year on Cyber Monday and $3 billion on Black Friday. Throughout all of last year, online purchases accounted for $400 billion in sales.
“A FEW POWERFUL CABLE AND PHONE COMPANIES PICKING WINNERS AND LOSERS INSTEAD OF CONSUMERS”
“This economic growth is possible because of the free and open internet,” the letter says. Our current net neutrality rules allow all businesses to compete equally, the companies write. But without those rules, online businesses may be stymied by internet providers that prioritize their own interests. “An internet without net neutrality protections would be the opposite of the open market, with a few powerful cable and phone companies picking winners and losers instead of consumers.”
The lack of rules, they say, could force businesses into internet slow lanes. Or they could be blocked altogether, or forced to pay a toll. “This would put small and medium-sized businesses at a disadvantage and prevent innovative new ones from even getting off the ground,” the letter says.
The FCC intends to vote on its proposal to remove net neutrality rules on December 14th. While there’s been an outpouring of opposition, it’s not likely to make a difference — FCC commissioners are appointed to five year terms, so they don’t have to answer to voters next year like a lot of other representatives do. The three Republican commissioners outnumber the two Democratic commissioners, and so the proposal to end net neutrality is almost certain to pass.
What happens after that is what’ll really be worth watching. The FCC will have to defend its changes in court, and the unanswered concerns of web companies — like those signing this letter — may play a role. Letters like this can also help to raise public awareness and push Congress toward considering legislation to eventually enshrine similar rules in law. For now, it seems that anything like that is still a long ways off. But it’s clear that this is one of the rare issues where quite a few large and powerful companies are aligned with consumers.
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