Canadian Digital Rights Advocate invited to the White House to discuss controversial Internet Slow Lane rules with senior Obama Administration officials

Invitation to White House follows successful campaign in which over 180,000 OpenMedia community members spoke out against Internet Slow Lane in just 7 days including tens of thousands of Canadians

WHO

Steve Anderson, Executive Director, OpenMedia.ca
David Christopher, Communications Manager, OpenMedia.ca. (778-232-1858, [email protected])

WHAT

OpenMedia.ca’s founder Steve Anderson will meet with senior White House staff on Tuesday Sept 23, as part of a delegation of civil society organizations and tech companies. The delegation will urge the Obama administration to come out in support of clear rules to prevent large telecom conglomerates from installing new slow lanes on the Internet undermining ‘net neutrality’ rules.

If large U.S. telecom companies get their way, it could slow many favourite websites to a crawl and affect Internet users around the world. Canadians will be especially hard hit as so much of our Internet traffic travels in and out of the U.S. Canadian businesses that use the Internet are also likely to be relegated to the Internet slowlane potentially putting them out of business.

Internet users are also concerned that the FCC ruling could set a negative precedent for Canada’s CRTC, which is also conducting an investigation into net neutrality in Canada.

Despite campaigning on policies to ensure the open Internet, the Obama administration has been largely silent on the issues since the U.S. FCC's controversial Internet slow lane rules were first proposed for public comment back in April.

Steve Anderson is Executive Director and founder of OpenMedia.ca and OpenMedia.org (international), which is leading a huge international coalition called Big Telecom -v- The World to stop the slow lane plan, protect net neutrality, and safeguard the open Internet.

The invitation to the White House follows this successful campaign in which over 180,000 people spoke out against the Internet Slow Lane proposals in just 7 days. The campaign was part of a wider week of action in which over 5 million people participated.

WHEN

Date: Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Time: 4pm ET.

WHERE

Steve will be meeting at the White House, Washington, D.C.
OpenMedia is based in Vancouver, Canada.

WHY

OpenMedia’s campaign came against the backdrop of a crucial U.S. FCC hearing which could decide the future of net neutrality. Large telecom conglomerates are pushing the FCC to do away with net neutrality, a move that would open the door to an Internet slow lane and have major implications for Canadians and others around the world.

To push back, OpenMedia joined with over 60 organizations from over 25 nations to launch Big Telecom -v- The World, a week of action aimed at sounding a loud global call in defence of net neutrality. Over 180,000 people from around the world have signed on to the campaign, making it OpenMedia’s most successful campaign launch of 2014. It was part of a wider effort that has seen over 5 million speak out to stop Big Telecom’s Internet slow lane.

QUOTE

OpenMedia Executive Director Steve Anderson said: “I’ve been so inspired to see how people have stood up in huge numbers to stop this reckless Internet Slow Lane plan. Because so many have spoken up, we’ve sent a message that’s impossible for decision-makers to ignore. I’m looking forward to going to the White House on behalf of Canadians and Internet users in the U.S. and around the world. The message that I and others will give the Obama administration is clear - they should listen to Internet users, and keep the Internet free from Big Telecom control and open for future generations.”

Anderson continued: “If Big Telecom get their way, the Internet we know and love would change forever, and could end up looking much more like cable TV. We’re going to keep up the pressure until Internet users get the safeguards they deserve. The Internet is a global platform and we can’t let any entities become gatekeepers to online expression, collaboration, and commerce -- not in the U.S., not anywhere.”

About the Big Telecom -v- The World week of action

The Big Telecom -v- The World week of action includes a resource-packed campaign website, an extensive social media campaign, and information on how people can connect with campaigns on the ground in countries around the world. Internet users are also invited to host their own net neutrality teach-in using Mozilla’s Maker Party Kit.

Groups supporting the international campaign include: Affinity Bridge, Arab Digital Expression Foundation, Backbone Campaign, BitTorrent, BlobgExpression, Boing Boing, Briteweb, Centre for Law and Democracy, Cheezburger, ColorOfChange, Consumer NZ, Council of Canadians, Credo, cStreet Campaigns, Daily Kos, Daily Sangbad, Diritti Digitali, Electronic Frontiers Australia, Ethics and Health Foundation, Fark, Fleurieu Communications, Fundación Karisma, Fundación Vía Libre, Gen Why Media, Green Laurels, Greenpeace International, Greenpeace U.S., GrowthLogic Inc., Hiperderecho, IBIDEM - Instituto Beta para Internet e Democracia, I-Vission (Cameroon), Iraqi Network for Social Media, IT for Change, Korean Progressive Network Jinbonet, Louder, May First/People Link, Microzip Data Solutions Inc., Million Monarchs, Movimento Mega, Other98, Popular Resistance, Public Knowledge, rabble.ca, reddit, Roots Action, SumOfUs, Top 21 Systemhaus GmbH, ThoughtWorks, Thunderclap, TunnelBear, Urban Integration Working Group, Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press.

People everywhere are speaking up to defend net neutrality and the Open Internet at https://BigTelecomVsTheWorld.org

CONTACT

David Christopher
Communications Manager, OpenMedia.ca
1-778-232-1858
[email protected]