the internet activits unite to fight for net neutrality

Internet activists have coalesced around net neutrality after a series of skirmishes. Activists began worrying about net neutrality in 2005, when the US supreme court ruled against a move to force cable companies to share their infrastructure with ISPs such as Brand X and EarthLink. The FCC, then overseen by Powell, joined with the cable companies in opposing the challenge.

An alphabet soup of acts then came before Congress, from the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement (Cope) Act of 2006 to the Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa) of 2014. An unlikely band of activists came together to protest what they saw as attempts to push through legislation which would restrict their freedom of expression online. The Christian Coalition of America and Gun Owners of America opposed Cope, for example, alongside the liberal nonprofit Common Cause.

By the time the latest spat came before the FCC, Karr argues, net activists had sharpened their tactics and raised their game.

“They had been successful at killing bills but not very successful at creating new rules,” he said.

With net neutrality, that appears to have changed. Activists haven’t just lobbied to kill a bill – they have specifically pushed for Title II. It has worked. In November Obama, who has always been a champion of net neutrality but had never thrown his weight behind specific legislation to protect it, also came out for Title II, calling on the FCC to enact the “strongest possible rules” to protect an open internet.