Tell your governor: Save net neutrality

Last year brought a blow to internet freedom -- but also a way forward for those of us looking to protect it.

The bad news: An appeals court upheld the Trump administration’s repeal of net neutrality protections. Without these protections, big phone and cable companies could block or slow down whatever content they choose -- or create unfair internet "fast lanes" to favor certain sites and content over others.

The good news? The court also said that states and local governments can write their own, stronger rules.

This ruling could have consequences for a free and open internet, where all ideas, content and users have a chance to thrive. But right now, passing strong state laws could be our best chance to protect the net. Tell your governor: Pass net neutrality legislation now.

The internet belongs to everyone and every idea. That's what net neutrality protects. Without it, the internet will be under the control of powerful telephone and cable company gatekeepers. They could throttle or even block some content to let their favored content speed along. This would harm consumers and citizens, small businesses, innovators, and even our culture of freedom and democracy.

When the Trump administration decided to give telecommunications companies the ability to block or slow down internet access for broadband customers, California responded in 2018 by passing a law to block that from happening.

Though the court’s decision okayed the administration’s repeal of net neutrality at the federal level, it also opened the door for more states to take action of their own, and for California to begin enforcing its law.

To keep the internet free and open, we need to take action at all levels. Internet service providers shouldn't be able to pick winners and losers online, or give their own services an unfair advantage over their competitors. But that's exactly what will happen without net neutrality protections.

Call on your governor to protect net neutrality in your state.

We need to make net neutrality the law of the land by passing the Save the Internet Act in the U.S. Senate. But in the meantime, to keep the internet fair, we need to call on states to follow in California's footsteps and pass their own net neutrality protections.

Stand up for a free and open internet today.