Thank You for Stepping Up — We Couldn’t Have Done it With You!

The Internet is a powerful tool and community, and it is our duty to work together to protect it. But we couldn't do this without our incredible Step-Up allies — thank you for your support!

Looking ahead to what's in store for us in 2019, we're feeling optimistic. There's definitely a lot for us to work on when it comes to protecting the Internet, but coming off of our December fundraising drive, it's clear to see that our community has our back. None of our efforts to hit the ground running would be possible without you – our dedicated and formidable supporters. So we want to take this opportunity to thank everyone that stepped up to make sure we could start 2019 with a bang! Thank you for making the 2018 December fundraising drive such a successful one!

The Internet is a realm in which we collaborate, innovate, and mobilize. It has revolutionized the ways in which we interact with each other, participate in society and exercise our democratic rights. We cannot, and do not, take for granted what the Internet makes possible!

Telecom behemoths and governments are constantly plotting to control, manipulate and profit from the power of the Internet. Through profit-driven schemes and surveillance tactics, such as Bell’s FairPlay Canada website blocking proposal or Big Telecom selling your location data, our digital rights are disregarded on a regular basis. If left unchallenged, these actors will continue their attempts for increased control, stomping on our right to an open, affordable and surveillance-free Internet.  

Standing up for an open Internet and empowering the voices of our community is our mission. It’s an uphill battle that involves confronting some of the most powerful opponents in the arena, like Big Telecom. But luckily — thanks to the support of the incredible members of our community — we are not alone in the fight. Together we can win some of the most unimaginable battles. Just check out all the things we accomplished together last year.

Thanks to our incredible community of Internet heroes, we are able to host impactful campaigns – you are truly the backbone of everything we do. In the last decade or so we have mobilized millions of people and delivered their voices to key decision makers. We continue to be a strong grassroots organization. Thousands of OpenMedia supporters stepped up this last December by chipping in to give us a big push into the new year.

We are also deeply grateful for our tech sector allies that stepped up and contributed funds to OpenMedia to help match our grassroots donations. Without these essential contributions, we would not be able to keep up our work to build a brighter digital future in the year ahead.

Finally, we want to thank our Step-Up allies this year, for helping make this incredibly successful:

Tucows, is a Canadian company, mobile service provider, and one of the world’s largest domain registrars. Long-time supporters of OpenMedia, we are grateful for them stepping up to match your donations and help us get ready for what’s to come in 2019.

Start.ca is an independent Canadian Internet Service Provider based in Ontario, working hard to counter Big Telecom’s stronghold over your Internet services. We greatly appreciate their commitment to the open and accessible Internet.

Human Data Commons is an organization based in Vancouver, BC, that believes in instilling data collection practices with integrity and freedom. Organizations like them allow us to foster conversation around healthier protocol alternatives for Big data.

OpenMedia is proud to be a community leader when it comes to grassroots efforts and community outreach. Being a crowdfunded organization is a big part of who we are, and — whether you’re a business, an organization, or an individual — our work would not be possible without you. We have our work cut out for us in 2019, as our battle to preserve Net Neutrality, improve access to affordable internet and protect the right to our privacy persists.

Thank you for helping us save the Internet one day at a time! We have a busy year ahead of us, and we’ll be working hard to keep you engaged, and ensure your voices reach decision-makers on the issues that matter to you!