Fw: Congress Is Selling Out the Internet

[Guest guest]

- Robert McChesney, FreePress.net

jmittelman

Friday, April 21, 2006 10:29 AM

Congress Is Selling Out the Internet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear media reformer,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congress Sells Out

 

After accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions from big telecom firms, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) is sponsoring a bill to hand over the Internet to these same companies. He's not alone.

 

Where Does Your Representative Stand?Act Now: Save the Internet

 

 

 

Congress is about to sell out the Internet by letting big phone and cable companies set up toll booths along the information superhighway.

Companies like AT & T, Verizon and Comcast are spending tens of millions in Washington to kill "network neutrality" -- a principle that keeps the Internet open to all.

A bill moving quickly through Congress would let these companies become Internet gatekeepers, deciding which Web sites go fast or slow -- and which won't load at all -- based on who pays them more. The rest of us will be detoured to the "slow lane," clicking furiously and waiting for our favorite sites to download.

Don't let Congress ruin the Internet:

Tell Congress to Save Net Neutrality Now

Our elected representatives are trading favors for campaign donations from phone and cable companies. They're being wooed by people like AT & T's CEO, who says "the Internet can't be free" and wants to decide what you do, where you go and what you watch online.

The best ideas never come from those with the deepest pockets. If the phone and cable companies get their way, the free and open Internet could soon be fenced in by large corporations. If Congress turns the Internet over to giants like AT & T, everyone who uses the Internet will suffer:

Google users -- Another search engine could pay AT & T to guarantee that it opens faster than Google on your computer.

iPod listeners -- Comcast could slow access to iTunes, steering you to a higher-priced music service that paid for the privilege.

Work-at-home parents -- Connecting to your office could take longer if you don't purchase your carrier's preferred applications. Sending family photos and videos could slow to a crawl.

Retirees -- Web pages you always use for online banking, access to health care information, planning a trip or communicating with friends and family could fall victim to Verizon's pay-for-speed schemes.

Bloggers -- Costs will skyrocket to post and share video and audio clips -- silencing citizen journalists and amplifying the mainstream media.

Online activists -- Political organizing could be slowed by the handful of dominant Internet providers who ask advocacy groups to pay a fee to join the "fast lane."

Small businesses -- When AT & T favors their own services, you won't be able to choose more affordable providers for online video, teleconferencing, and Internet phone calls.

Innovators with the "next big idea" -- Startups and entrepreneurs will be muscled out of the marketplace by big corporations that pay for a top spot on the Web.

 

We can't let Congress ruin the free and open Internet.

Let Congress Know that You Want Net Neutrality Now

We must act now or lose the Internet as we know it.

 

Onward,

Robert W. McChesneyPresidentFree Presswww.freepress.net

P.S. Visit www.SavetheInternet.com to contact your representative, learn more about this issue, and discuss this campaign with other activists.

P.P.S. Tell your friends about this campaign.

 

 

If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for the Free Press at: http://action.freepress.net/freepress/join.html?r=k7wiYu61mj1kE &

 

 

This message was sent to jmittelman. Visit your subscription management page to modify your email communication preferences or update your personal profile. To stop receiving E-Activist Network, click to . To stop ALL email from Free Press, click to remove yourself from our lists (or reply via email with "remove" in the subject line).

 

 

You (jmittelman) are receiving this as a Free Press E-Activist. To stop receiving these messages,

[Guest guest]

Congress is selling out the Internet

 

-

Robert McChesney, FreePress.net

Friday, April 21, 2006 10:29 AM

Congress Is Selling Out the Internet

 

 

 

 

http://www.SavetheInternet.com

 

 

 

 

Dear media reformer,

 

 

 

Congress Sells Out

 

 

After accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions from big

telecom firms, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) is sponsoring a bill to hand over the

Internet to these same companies. He's not alone.

 

 

Where Does Your Representative Stand?

 

Act Now: Save the Internet

 

http://www.SavetheInternet.com

 

 

Congress is about to sell out the Internet by letting big phone and cable

companies set up toll booths along the information superhighway.

 

 

Companies like AT & T, Verizon and Comcast are spending tens of millions in

Washington to kill " network neutrality " -- a principle that keeps the Internet

open to all.

 

 

A bill moving quickly through Congress would let these companies become

Internet gatekeepers, deciding which Web sites go fast or slow -- and which

won't load at all -- based on who pays them more. The rest of us will be

detoured to the " slow lane, " clicking furiously and waiting for our favorite

sites to download.

 

 

Don't let Congress ruin the Internet:

 

 

Tell Congress to Save Net Neutrality Now

 

 

Our elected representatives are trading favors for campaign donations from

phone and cable companies. They're being wooed by people like AT & T's CEO, who

says " the Internet can't be free " and wants to decide what you do, where you go

and what you watch online.

 

 

The best ideas never come from those with the deepest pockets. If the phone

and cable companies get their way, the free and open Internet could soon be

fenced in by large corporations. If Congress turns the Internet over to giants

like AT & T, everyone who uses the Internet will suffer:

 

a.. Google users -- Another search engine could pay AT & T to guarantee that it

opens faster than Google on your computer.

 

b.. iPod listeners -- Comcast could slow access to iTunes, steering you to a

higher-priced music service that paid for the privilege.

 

c.. Work-at-home parents -- Connecting to your office could take longer if

you don't purchase your carrier's preferred applications. Sending family photos

and videos could slow to a crawl.

 

d.. Retirees -- Web pages you always use for online banking, access to health

care information, planning a trip or communicating with friends and family could

fall victim to Verizon's pay-for-speed schemes.

 

e.. Bloggers -- Costs will skyrocket to post and share video and audio clips

-- silencing citizen journalists and amplifying the mainstream media.

 

f.. Online activists -- Political organizing could be slowed by the handful

of dominant Internet providers who ask advocacy groups to pay a fee to join the

" fast lane. "

 

g.. Small businesses -- When AT & T favors their own services, you won't be

able to choose more affordable providers for online video, teleconferencing, and

Internet phone calls.

 

h.. Innovators with the " next big idea " -- Startups and entrepreneurs will

be muscled out of the marketplace by big corporations that pay for a top spot on

the Web.

 

We can't let Congress ruin the free and open Internet.

 

 

Let Congress Know that You Want Net Neutrality Now

 

 

We must act now or lose the Internet as we know it.

 

 

Onward,

 

 

Robert W. McChesney

President

Free Press

www.freepress.net

 

 

 

P.S. Visit

http://www.SavetheInternet.com to contact your representative, learn more about

this issue, and discuss this campaign with other activists.

 

P.P.S. Tell your friends about this campaign.

 

If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for the Free Press

at: http://action.freepress.net/freepress/join.html?r=k7wiYu61mj1kE &