Category Archives: Internet Freedom

Digital inclusion and who controls the Internet

Internet Freedom, Press Room

Now That The FCC Has Scrapped Net Neutrality, Get Ready For The Legal Battles

By Sean Captain – Fast Company

Despite protests online and in the streets, as well as appeals from Congress (including one Republican ), the FCC voted three-to-two this morning for Republican chairman Ajit Pai’s Restoring Internet Freedom order to scrap the net neutrality rules created under his Democratic predecessor, Tom Wheeler. But that won’t settle the issue. This being America, the next round will be duked out in a courtroom.

Recent experience shows how that may shake out. In 2015, the United States Telecom Association, an industry group including ISPs like AT&T and Verizon, sued the Democratic-majority FCC (and lost, in a 2016 ruling) to overturn its net neutrality regulations. Now activist groups and some companies are getting ready to sue Trump’s FCC over the abolition of those rules. “It will be the same this time except with the roles reversed to some extent,” says Matt Wood, policy director at Free Press, an organization that supports net neutrality regulations.

“We’ve essentially promised to sue, so there’s really no mystery whether we’re involved,” says Wood, and he’ll have company. “We’re pretty likely to be a plaintiff,” says Tracy Rosenberg, executive director of the press activist organization Media Alliance. The National Hispanic Media Coalition has also announced plans to sue. Continue reading Now That The FCC Has Scrapped Net Neutrality, Get Ready For The Legal Battles →

Internet Freedom

First Amendment Rights Plastered In GlassDoor Ruling

 

A disheartening ruling under seal was issued  by the Ninth Circuit of the Court of Appeals when they stifled First Amendment protections for people posting online anonymously.

The hush hush sealed case itself focuses on a government request to the employer review site GlassDoor for the names of their posters about their employer in a goverment contracting fraud case against that company.

GlassDoor, rightly, did not want to hand over user information to the government and saw the broader First Amendment implications of doing so.

The case revolved around the appropriate legal standard for waiving First Amendment protections. Sadly the court chose the weaker standard (known as Branzburg vs Hayes) and rejected without even reading them amicis filed by public interest groups including Media Alliance, Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), Electronic Frontier Foundation, Committee for Justice and Public Participation Project.

Here’s our rejection letter.  Glassdoor amicus motion denied

Here’s a few blogs from our fellow amicis about why this horrible decision is so horibble.

Center For Democracy and Technology

Electronic Frontier Foundation

 

Internet Freedom, Surveillance

Model State Broadband Privacy Law Introduced

(Courtesy of OTI)

New America’s Open Technology Institute (OTI), supported by many consumer advocacy and privacy organizations, have published model legislation to aid states in improving privacy protections for broadband customers. The model is designed to provide Americans real choices over how broadband providers like AT&T and Verizon can use, disclose, and provide access to customer information. States must consider their own broadband privacy legislation to fill the gap left by Congress when it repealed the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) broadband privacy rules. Continue reading Model State Broadband Privacy Law Introduced →

Internet Freedom, Press Room

OTI Publishes Model State Legislation to Help States Protect Broadband Privacy

Today, New America’s Open Technology Institute (OTI), with the support of 12 consumer advocacy and privacy organizations listed below, published model legislation to aid state legislatures in improving privacy protections for broadband customers. Continue reading OTI Publishes Model State Legislation to Help States Protect Broadband Privacy →

Internet Freedom

CalBIPA To Reinstate Broadband Privacy in CA

 

On June 19, CA Assembly Privacy Committee chair Ed Chau introduced CalBIPA – AB375 – to restore the consumer protections stripped by Trump’s congress.

The bill will allow Internet users to consent to the sale or disclosure of their Internet activities by their Internet service providers. Media Alliance is a bill sponsor.

Continue reading CalBIPA To Reinstate Broadband Privacy in CA →

Internet Freedom

Day Of Action To Save Network Neutrality July 12

 

For years, we’ve told you why network neutrality is the key principle underlying an Open Internet and protecting the web’s capacity to connect. Finally it seemed as if the future of the Internet was no longer in question when the FCC moved to Title 2 classification.

But as with so many things, the Trump administration is leaving no stone unturned in trying to dismantle social progress and the open Internet is now on the chopping block.

Continue reading Day Of Action To Save Network Neutrality July 12 →