Press Release
FCC Must Protect Free Speech Everywhere
Contact: Timothy Karr, 201-533-8838
WASHINGTON -- The Federal Communications Commission announced Monday that it was launching inquiries into allegations of blocking and censorship by Comcast and Verizon Wireless. Free Press strongly urges the FCC to act quickly to protect the free flow of information on all networks.
"Free speech should be protected everywhere -- whether it's text messages, phone calls, e-mails or the Internet," said Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press, which coordinates the SavetheInternet.com Coalition. "The FCC has started to respond to a growing public outcry, but they shouldn't drag their feet. Companies like Comcast and Verizon have showed repeatedly that they can't be trusted. Without quick and decisive action, they'll keep blocking, manipulating and interfering."
Late last year, the Associated Press caught Comcast secretly blocking legal peer-to-peer file-sharing networks, movie downloads and other popular Internet software. The AP called the violation "the most drastic example yet of data discrimination."
In response, Free Press, Media Access Project, Public Knowledge and a group of Internet scholars at the nation's top law schools filed a petition and complaint with the FCC calling for urgent action to stop Comcast's blocking. Concerned citizens from across the country sent more than 23,000 letters to the FCC calling for an investigation.
"There's nothing reasonable about the way Comcast is secretly censoring what its customers can do on the Internet," said Marvin Ammori, general counsel of Free Press. "Comcast is using Web filtering technologies similar to those used in China to censor the Internet. This egregious violation of Net Neutrality must be addressed by the FCC immediately."
Learn more about the Comcast complaint here: http://www.freepress.net/press/release.php?id=297
See the FCC's announcement here: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-08-91A1.pdf
The FCC also announced yesterday that it was looking into Verizon's censoring of text messages sent by NARAL Pro-Choice America to its own members. The petition -- filed by Public Knowledge, Free Press, U.S. PIRG, Media Access Project, Consumers Union and the New America Foundation -- urged the FCC to prohibit cell phone companies from blocking or interfering with text messages sent over their networks. The FCC is now seeking public comment.
The original complaint can be found here: http://www.publicknowledge.org/pdf/text-message-petition-20071211.pdf
The FCC's public notice is here: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-08-78A1.pdf
"The FCC must send a stern warning to any phone or cable company that would try to control our Internet experience," Scott said. "The longer the FCC waits to punish Comcast and Verizon, the more these companies will invest in technologies to censor and manipulate what we can do online and over the public airwaves. Censorship and blocking our access to the Internet should never be tolerated."
"Free speech should be protected everywhere -- whether it's text messages, phone calls, e-mails or the Internet," said Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press, which coordinates the SavetheInternet.com Coalition. "The FCC has started to respond to a growing public outcry, but they shouldn't drag their feet. Companies like Comcast and Verizon have showed repeatedly that they can't be trusted. Without quick and decisive action, they'll keep blocking, manipulating and interfering."
Late last year, the Associated Press caught Comcast secretly blocking legal peer-to-peer file-sharing networks, movie downloads and other popular Internet software. The AP called the violation "the most drastic example yet of data discrimination."
In response, Free Press, Media Access Project, Public Knowledge and a group of Internet scholars at the nation's top law schools filed a petition and complaint with the FCC calling for urgent action to stop Comcast's blocking. Concerned citizens from across the country sent more than 23,000 letters to the FCC calling for an investigation.
"There's nothing reasonable about the way Comcast is secretly censoring what its customers can do on the Internet," said Marvin Ammori, general counsel of Free Press. "Comcast is using Web filtering technologies similar to those used in China to censor the Internet. This egregious violation of Net Neutrality must be addressed by the FCC immediately."
Learn more about the Comcast complaint here: http://www.freepress.net/press/release.php?id=297
See the FCC's announcement here: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-08-91A1.pdf
The FCC also announced yesterday that it was looking into Verizon's censoring of text messages sent by NARAL Pro-Choice America to its own members. The petition -- filed by Public Knowledge, Free Press, U.S. PIRG, Media Access Project, Consumers Union and the New America Foundation -- urged the FCC to prohibit cell phone companies from blocking or interfering with text messages sent over their networks. The FCC is now seeking public comment.
The original complaint can be found here: http://www.publicknowledge.org/pdf/text-message-petition-20071211.pdf
The FCC's public notice is here: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-08-78A1.pdf
"The FCC must send a stern warning to any phone or cable company that would try to control our Internet experience," Scott said. "The longer the FCC waits to punish Comcast and Verizon, the more these companies will invest in technologies to censor and manipulate what we can do online and over the public airwaves. Censorship and blocking our access to the Internet should never be tolerated."
