Major websites and Internet users are getting creative as backlash to FCC’s net neutrality repeal sweeps the web

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 9, 2017
Contact: Evan Greer, press@fightforthefuture.org, 978-852-6457

Internet users are “Breaking the Internet” with creative posts on all platforms tomorrow. Sites like  Mozilla, Reddit, Tumblr, GitHub, Pintrest, Etsy, Imgur, Kickstarter, Pornhub, and Patreon are helping drive phone calls to Congress

The unprecedented public backlash to the FCC’s plan to slash Title II net neutrality protections continues to grow. After thousands of people took to the streets to protest last week, Internet users, websites, apps, and online forums are participating in “Break the Internet,” a mass online protest for the 48 hours before the FCC vote. The protest is demanding that Congress take action to stop the FCC or overturn their repeal. Just today, the first Republican lawmaker publicly called on the FCC to stop the vote. 

See screenshots of how various sites and Internet users are participating here.

See the announcement for the protest here: https://www.breaktheinternetprotest.org

The protest is taking many forms on social media, apps, and websites across the Internet. Facebook and LinkedIn users will “break” their profiles by changing their relationship status to “Married” (to net neutrality) or adding a new “job” of “Defending Net Neutrality.” Websites and apps will participate by doing something to “break” their platform and encourage their users to contact Congress.

Websites, startups, apps and businesses large and small are already helping drive phone calls to Congress using creative widgets, modals, and banners that show what the Internet might look like if ISPs can control what users do with throttling, censorship, and new fees. Many popular subreddits with a combined 66 million+ subscribers, have “broken,” displaying this message:

Sites helping sound the alarm include Imgur, Tumblr, Mozilla, Pinterest, Kickstarter, Reddit, GitHub, Etsy, BitTorrent, Pornhub, Patreon, Funny Or Die, Speedtest, Fiverr, Cloudlfare, Opera, Trello, the Happy Wheels game, DeviantArt, AnimeNewsNetwork, and BoingBoing. 

“Ajit Pai’s extreme proposal to kill net neutrality has created a political crisis in Washington, DC. Internet users are outraged and educated about this issue. They will not be fooled by lobbyist’s lies or attempts to make this partisan,” said Evan Greer, campaign director of Fight for the Future, “The Internet has given ordinary people more power than they’ve ever had before. The backlash we are seeing is a testatement to the fact that people don’t want that power taken away, and are willing to fight to defend it.”

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