Activists start countdown to net neutrality

Web activists are starting to count down to new net neutrality rules.

One month before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is expected to vote on new rules to treat the Internet like a utility, activists participating in the Battle for the Net campaign have launched an online countdown clock that they are making available for sites across the Web. 

{mosads}“We are closer than ever to winning real net neutrality protections that will keep the Web open for generations to come, and the Internet is literally counting down the seconds,” said Evan Greer, campaign director for Fight for the Future, said in a statement. “We call on Internet users, cat video posters, music bloggers, YouTube karaoke stars, and major websites to unite for one more epic push to make sure that the FCC does the right thing and that corrupt members Congress can’t derail the process.”

The liberal political site Daily Kos was the first to post the countdown, the campaign said.

Liberal Internet activists have been incredibly influential in the run up to the FCC’s vote on new rules.

Activists supporting reclassification of Internet service under Title II of the Communications Act helped drive nearly a record-setting number of  comments to the FCC’s site over the past year. Thousands of websites also participated in a symbolic slowdown of the Web last year, designed to raise alarms about possible concerns of weak net neutrality regulations. 

Those actions helped prompt many Democratic lawmakers and President Obama to push the FCC to embrace utility-style rules. Many expect the commission to take that step in its vote on Feb. 26, despite opposition from Republicans in Congress.