Comcast tries to shut down pro-net neutrality site

Authored by engadget.com and submitted by evanFFTF

Evan Greer, Fight for the Future's campaign director, said that the cease-and-desist order is indicative of why net neutrality is needed: "If Ajit Pai's plan is enacted, there would be nothing preventing Comcast from simply blocking sites like Comcastroturf.com that are critical of their corporate policies."

Fight for the Future is protesting the FCC's moves to overturn the reclassification of broadband internet. The change, back in 2015, formed the rules for protecting net neutrality; that ISPs should treat all data served to customers at equal speeds and uncensored -- rules that were sometimes dodged.

Comcast told the Daily Dot that it "supports strong, legally enforceable net neutrality rules and does not and will not block websites or content." The cable and internet company says it's an outside vendor that's responsible for monitoring websites that uses its brands without authorization. This vendor then routinely sends out notices to suspicious sites. The statement added that the site in question raised other legal issues, as it asked for user details and that the site didn't have a privacy policy.

The cease-and-desist order itself is innocuously worded, stating that Comcastroturf's name is "confusingly similar" to Comcast. (There are more confusing similarities in tech.) The notice added that the company wants the site turned over to it, or it will proceed with legal action. Comcast said that it doesn't currently plan to proceed with legal action.

andrewman447 on May 24th, 2017 at 16:51 UTC »

Meanwhile on Comcast's Twitter...

CalamityMatters on May 24th, 2017 at 14:58 UTC »

Check www.battleforthenet.com for more information - guy who's website it was was mentioning it

grayiiiii on May 24th, 2017 at 14:45 UTC »

Yo. Fuck that shit.