Fight for the Future’s response to today’s White House statement on net neutrality

President Obama just made the strongest statement of his political career for net neutrality. Here’s a response from Fight for the Future co-director Holmes Wilson:

“Thanks to the second largest online protest in history, nearly 4 million comments, White House & FCC phone lines ringing off the hook, and even nationwide street protests, President Obama finally gets it, and can say so.”

“He sees why net neutrality matters so much to the world’s future. He gets why Americans are furious at the prospect of cable companies controlling what we read, watch, and build online. He knows how important it is that smartphone users be treated equally. And he understands in policy terms that Title II reclassification–far from being a radical step–is simply a recognition of how essential the Internet has become, to all of us.”

“One thing that worries us is the insistence that the FCC is an independent agency,” said Wilson, “At this point it should be unthinkable that Tom Wheeler would defy both the American public *and* the President, but we hope President Obama is prepared to demote him if he doesn’t move forward in good faith with Title II reclassification.”

This very morning, net neutrality protesters held a banner blocking the driveway at FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s house, and he had to take the metro or a cab to work. Slowlanes, indeed.