Net Neutrality Update

Thursday, the House voted against an amendment that would enforce Net Neutrality. The COPE (Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement) Act was passed 321 to 101 without protection for "free, universal and non-discriminatory access to the Internet."

Rep. Edward Markey (D-Massachusetts), offered an amendment stating that broadband network providers must not discriminate against or interfere with users' ability to access or offer lawful content. Opponents argued that it would create government regulations controlling the internet and make it more difficult for service providers to invest in new high-speed technology. It was defeated 269-152.

Details can be found at Free Press and at Wired News.

This is not the end of the issue, nor is it time to forget and let it slip out of our attention span. If you haven't gotten involved yet, please consider sending email, a letter or making a phone call to your state's Senators to let them know that you are in favor of Net Neutrality. Senators Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota) have put a bill before the Senate which has stronger bi-partisan support than the Markey amendment.

If you haven't been following the issue at all, here are a few good places to start:

• Tim Berners-Lee on why net neutrality was the cornerstone of the design of the web, and why it is still important.
• Ebay's position statement on net neutrality
• Brian Clark: The Four Horsemen of the Internet Apocalypse
• Doc Searls: Saving the Net: How to Keep the Carriers from Flushing the Net Down the Tubes

The SavetheInternet.com Coalition offers the following list of ways you can help keep the internet free for all.

1. Sign the petition and send a message to Congress
2. Support the SavetheInternet.com Ad Fund
3. Call your Senators
4. Write a letter to your hometown newspaper
5. Promote SavetheInternet on your Blog or site
6. Tell five friends to join the fight for Internet freedom
7. Join SavetheInternet MySpace as a friend

Please take action today!

There's a banner in the sidebar of this blog that will take you to the SavetheInternet.com Coalition any time you click on it. So if you do nothing today, please make an effort to do something soon, before it's too late.

Technorati Tags: discussion, interactivity, Internet, net neutrality, web2.0