On June 11, the Senate will Discuss Net Neutrality. Call Your Senator, then Watch the Proceedings LIVE.

Authored by redditblog.com and submitted by LastBluejay

Hey, Redditors! Since we last checked in with you on Net Neutrality, the House of Representatives passed the Save the Internet Act to restore strong Net Neutrality rules. As a reminder, this bill includes consumer protections that prevent internet service providers (ISPs) from blocking or throttling content, as well as from the anticompetitive practice of prioritizing certain content in exchange for payment. These protections are essential, as evidence shows that ISPs have been taking advantage of their absence to execute some unfair practices since the repeal, documented here.

In light of this disappointing-but-unsurprising shadiness, we’ve continued to beat the drum on why Net Neutrality is important to allowing platforms like Reddit (as well as all manner of startups) to compete on an even playing field with industry giants. u/spez even teamed up recently with FCC Commissioner Rosenworcel (u/Official_FCC_CJR) and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo to emphasize Net Neutrality’s continued urgency.

What’s happening now, and what can you do?

The Senate version of the bill, sponsored by u/SenatorEdMarkey, is now poised to be raised on the floor on (likely) June 11– timed exactly one year after the FCC officially retracted the Net Neutrality rules that were previously in place. You’ll be able to watch the proceedings live here.

But in order for this effort to have a chance, our Senators need to know that this is something their constituents care about. While the polling is bipartisan and overwhelmingly in favor of Net Neutrality, polling doesn’t speak as loudly as constituent phone calls. In the words of Rep. Eshoo, “Advocates need to lean in…The Congress is not a proactive institution. Congress moves when it’s pushed from the outside.”

You can let your Senator know that you care about Net Neutrality by giving their office a call before the 11th. You can look yours up and find their phone number here (you have two of them, so be sure to call both!). You might also want to check and see how they fared in this incidence of spontaneous Reddit activism from late 2017 (unfortunately, word from his staff is that Senator Dog will not be taking part in Tuesday’s floor proceedings due to his preoccupation with impending Universal Basic Tennis Ball legislation).

Finally, Fight For the Future is going to run a live stream discussion of their own on June 11th to allow small business owners, celebrities, creators, and normal internet users to express for themselves why Net Neutrality is important. If you’d like to share your thoughts (and maybe have them read live on the air by someone fancy), you can submit them here.

kethian on June 10th, 2019 at 14:32 UTC »

Is Mitch still in charge of the Senate? Oh ok well then I may as well drink bleach

js23698 on June 10th, 2019 at 14:23 UTC »

Out of the loop - Didn't the senate/FCC rule against net neutrality one/two years ago?

SomeRandomPyro on June 10th, 2019 at 14:19 UTC »

Looking forward to seeing just how they decide to make the wrong decision yet again. Here's to low expectations.