An Open Letter To Save The Internet

Dear United States Federal Communications Commission staff members and congresspeople,

I’m writing to you, good people of the FCC, fine senators, and upstanding representatives, to ask you to please reconsider your plans to remove Title II from the Communication Act.

The Internet, as it exists now, is a foundation for innovation, education, equality, freedom, and yes, entertainment. Please hold firm on Net Neutrality and keep the Internet open to everyone, and outside the reach of ISPs and others who would block sites, slow down service, charge extra fees, and otherwise tamper with the Internet freedoms that those of us in the U.S. currently enjoy.

The Internet has become the amazing place it is today because of this freedom. A place you can discuss ideas, share your creativity, post the photo of that huge pho you finished off, and find out how to handle 1…d5 (hint: capture the pawn).

Without this freedom of information, you might have to pay more to post your photos, be censored for advocating censorship, or only get chess advice from BadChessAdvice.com. Or, you might not be able to even access Chess.com from your phone, and ALL YOUR GAMES WILL TIME OUT!! Is that what you want??

Seriously though, this is a big deal. This is one of the last threads of freedom in this world. Please do not put it into the hands of Verizon, AT&T, and Comcast (please don’t cut off my Xfinity at home!).

Enjoy your games (freely),

Erik
CEO, Chess.com

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To encourage the FCC to not remove Title II, please visit battleforthenet.com/july12.

WHAT IS NET NEUTRALITY?
Net neutrality is the basic principle that protects our free speech on the Internet. "Title II" of the Communications Act is what provides the legal foundation for net neutrality and prevents Internet service providers like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T from slowing down and blocking websites, or charging apps and sites extra fees to reach an audience (which they then pass along to consumers.)

WHY IS NET NEUTRALITY IMPORTANT?
The Internet has thrived precisely because of net neutrality. It's what makes it so vibrant and innovative—a place for creativity, free expression, and exchange of ideas. Without net neutrality, the Internet will become more like cable TV, where the content you see is what your provider puts in front of you.