FCC Repeal of Net Neutrality Threatens Opportunity, Civil Rights and Democracy for People of Color
WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission has circulated a proposal that, if adopted, will repeal the FCC’s 2015 Net Neutrality rules — with devastating impacts on communities of color. The final order will be voted on by the FCC at its next open meeting on Thurs., Dec. 14.
While the internet affords everyone the ability to be heard and mobilize online, communities of color especially rely on an open internet to bypass traditional media gatekeepers. Net Neutrality ensures that the voices of people of color are treated equally online, whether it’s to start a new business, create new media or protest an injustice.
The following statements can be attributed to members of the Voices for Internet Freedom Coalition, a network of organizations that advocates for the digital rights of communities of color:
“A Net Neutrality repeal would remove one of the most important First Amendment protections communities of color have today, at a time when free-speech protections are more important than ever,” said Malkia Cyril, executive director at the Center for Media Justice. “The right to speak and be heard; the ability to seek opportunity, stay connected, and protest injustice — these are core civil rights. In a digital age, protecting core civil rights means enforcing, not repealing, Title II Net Neutrality.”
“Chairman Pai’s plan to dismantle Net Neutrality is an attack on 21st-century civil rights. Net Neutrality is the foundation of our free and open internet, which has been an indispensable tool for Black communities and others fighting for justice and civil rights. Net Neutrality ensures that the internet is a place for innovation and opportunity for all, allowing the voices and ideas of everyday Black folks to spread based on substance, rather than financial backing,” said Rashad Robinson, executive director at Color Of Change. “By joining hands with the telecom industry to dismantle Net Neutrality, Chairman Pai and the entire Trump administration are colluding to transform our free and open internet into a pay-for-play scheme that would stifle the voices of everyday Americans. It is the latest attack by President Trump and his corporate enablers on our most important freedoms. Congress still has the power to block Chairman Pai and the FCC from voting to destroy Net Neutrality. Key lawmakers are considering stepping up to do just that, but it’s up to all of us to push them over the edge. In the weeks ahead, it is critical for all of us to be calling our members of Congress to demand that they stop Pai and Trump’s attack on the internet."
“Repealing Net Neutrality is no small matter, especially for Latinos and people of color who already face substantial barriers in getting online, staying online and having high-quality internet. Despite the obstacles, we strive to tell our stories, build businesses, learn, get jobs, express ourselves and organize online,” said Carmen Scurato, director of policy and legal affairs at the National Hispanic Media Coalition. “Today, the Trump FCC is telling Latinos and other consumers that their voices will only be heard as far as their wallets can carry them, by paving the way for paid prioritization. This is a sad statement of what the FCC stands for today — corporations over consumers.”
“FCC Chairman Pai is using his power to advance the dishonest Trump-administration agenda by pursuing policies that inflict cruelty on the most vulnerable in our society to enrich the powerful,” said Joseph Torres, senior external affairs director at Free Press. “Killing Net Neutrality would give broadband providers the power to silence the voices of people of color. And it’s the kind of power we’ve seen media gatekeepers exercise against our communities throughout our nation’s history. Today people of color stand united to sound the alarm and raise awareness about how this decision will disproportionately harm people of color.”
“Chairman Pai’s proposal is nothing less than a massive corporate handout from this administration on the backs of our rights,” said Cayden Mak, executive director at 18MillionRising.org. “For artists, activists and entrepreneurs in the Asian American community, Net Neutrality has meant greater self-determination and opportunity. Pai’s move doesn’t empower anyone but those who can afford to pay to play. Those whose life’s work is to build something new, to create innovative forms of self-expression, and to solve our society’s greatest problems simply will get priced out. Losing those voices is a steep price to pay as power and wealth are consolidated at the top of the media ecosystem.”
