The Federal Communications Commission, as you likely know, is actively working to overturn landmark net neutrality rules passed in 2015 under the Obama administration. While some have already dismissed the pushback as a lost cause, many technology giants aren't prepared to go quietly into the night.
Companies such as Amazon, Kickstarter, Mozilla, Vimeo and Etsy are joining forces with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and hundreds of other organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Center for Media Justice, American Library Association, Organizing For Action, Demand Progress, Greenpeace, MoveOn and others for a "day of action" to defend the open Internet.
Current FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has vowed to dismantle net neutrality protections and in April, President Donald Trump signed into law a bill to repeal rules that former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler fought to put in place for years.
Corynne McSherry, legal director for the EFF, referenced earlier online protests like the 24-hour blackout to protest SOPA in 2012 and the Internet Slowdown Day in 2014 as evidence that the Internet can rise up and force regulators to listen.
McSherry noted that details of the July 12 event are pending but said the goal is to send a strong message to the FCC and Congress: "Don't Mess with the Internet."
More companies and organizations are expected to join the effort in the coming days and weeks.
Image via Kevin Lamarque, Reuters