Net neutrality

Workspace: Public policy

This is an internal working space for Wikimedia-DC members developing our position on net neutrality.

Published statement, May 5, 2018: Wikimedia DC statement supporting Senate action to restore Net Neutrality‎‎

Draft text for tweets: "On December 14 the FCC will consider a change in rules that would allow providers of U.S. Internet services to charge consumers prices for access to particular web sites. This would interfere with the open access to information that is needed for a healthy civil society because these providers are often near-monopolies.. Wikimedia DC opposes the change and prefers the present rules that support net neutrality. We stand with the Wikimedia Foundation and other organizations in favor of a freer Internet."

• and cite: Jan Gerlach, WMF. 2017-12-04. Net neutrality is essential for access to knowledge. WMF blog post.

Possible action: take stance on net neutrality proposal in Virginia. The Virginia legislature is considering a net-neutrality proposal. but Virginia’s in our service zone. The proposal is to allow ISPs to offer services in Virginia only if they meet net-neutrality principles. My main anxiety is to make sure the ISPs have permission to throttle traffic appropriately based on technical stuff -- data type and congestion, e.g. emails in preference to huge video files, but by this point in the debate I imagine that that issue is long since covered well.

Background

• CRS report on the topic
• Call for comments on the FCC's Open Internet Order, by 2017 FCC, looking to roll back to a "light touch" of regulation
• article recommended by Jeremy P
• Call for comments on the FCC's Open Internet Order -- possibly the same as https://www.fcc.gov/restoring-internet-freedom
• Erik Moeller, Wikimedia Foundation. August 1st, 2014. Wikipedia Zero and Net Neutrality: Protecting the Internet as a Public Space. Wikimedia blog.
• Jan Gerlach, WMF. 2017-12-04. Net neutrality is essential for access to knowledge. WMF blog post.
• distill more: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/16/611598361/senate-approves-overturning-fccs-net-neutrality-repeal
• https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2014/01/14/262454310/feds-cant-enforce-net-neutrality-what-this-means-for-you
• https://www.freepress.net/sites/default/files/2018-04/Free%20Press%20Written%20Testimony%20-%20April%2017%202018%20-%20as%20submitted.pdf

possible slogans

• Free knowledge should be free
• Free information should be free
• My new Internet bill looks like THIS? (show one with separate charges for social media, movies, etc)
• past versions: Internal:Public Policy/Wikimedia DC statement in support of Net Neutrality