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Article · Nov 10, 2017

Make your voice heard in the battle to preserve net neutrality

Make your voice heard on Net Neutrality Day of Action

UPDATE: This is a reprint of an article that originally appeared in July 2017. Why are we resurfacing this important information about the battle to preserve net neutrality? It's because the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is getting ready to vote on a motion to end net neutrality protections. The exact date of the vote has not yet been announced. But it's coming up soon. 

Congress can put a stop to the vote if they hear from enough constituents—and that's you. Please take the time to read this article, learn more about the importance of preserving net neutrality, and make your voice heard.  An end to net neutrality would give large internet providers free reign to slow down or block traffic to websites or applications. Don't give internet providers control over what you see and do online. Help us preserve net neutrality now. 

Today is the Net Neutrality Day of Action and Carbonite is joining more than 70,000 other companies, organizations and individuals in showing our support for the principle which ensures that all traffic over the internet is treated equally. And I'm urging you to do the same.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is taking steps to do away with net neutrality protections. If the FCC is successful, the world’s five largest broadband service providers will gain unfettered control over who gets access to the internet and how fast their internet connection speeds will be. That is a recipe for favoritism and unfair competition that flies in the face of traditional American values like open markets and free speech.

At Carbonite, we believe the internet should remain equally accessible to all individuals and organizations. We also believe that shaping internet traffic for profit is anti-competitive and bad for business.

A closer look at net neutrality
Net neutrality creates a level playing field for businesses by ensuring that too much power doesn’t fall into the hands of too few. Under existing net neutrality rules, internet service providers are legally restricted from blocking or slowing down web traffic and web-based applications.

If net neutrality goes away, internet service companies would have free reign to create fast and slow lanes for internet traffic and to block content and applications that compete with their own products. And there would be nothing stopping them from blocking or slowing traffic to blogs, news and opinion sites that promote political views they don't believe in.

The end of net neutrality would also likely mean the end of internet privacy, because internet service providers will be allowed to monetize their customers’ browsing history.

As we’ve seen over the last two decades, a free and open internet spurs innovation and helps businesses and individuals solve problems. It's one of the driving forces behind job creation and economic prosperity. It's time to stand up and let the FCC know net neutrality must be preserved.

What you can do to help
Carbonite is participating in the Net Neutrality Day of Action by encouraging individuals to take a stand against the overhaul of net neutrality policies.

One way you can participate is by visiting the Battle for the Net website and signing up for their newsletter, which includes information about all the work being done to ensure that net neutrality protections continue. You can also download and share images, videos and banner ads that will make your stance known. Here's an example:

Visit Battle for the Net and learn more about the fight to save net neutrality today.

Author

Norman Guadagno

Chief Evangelist and Senior Vice President of Marketing

Norman Guadagno is Chief Evangelist and Senior Vice President of Marketing at Carbonite. Before joining Carbonite, Norman was Senior Vice President of Marketing Strategy at the digital marketing agency Wire Stone, working with clients such as Microsoft, Boeing and Nike. Prior to Wire Stone, Guadagno held senior marketing roles at Microsoft and Oracle, as well as leading creative agencies. Guadagno began his career in the software industry focusing on user interaction. Norman holds an M.A. in Psychology from Rice University and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Rochester.

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