Locals protest to ‘Save the Net’

EUREKA – ‘Save the net.’ That’s what locals were saying Thursday as they turned out to protest the possible end of net neutrality.
Access Humboldt organized the protest at Eureka’s Verizon Store. Verizon is the company that challenged the Federal Communication Commission’s decision to maintain net neutrality and the former workplace of the FCC’s current Chairman.
Net neutrality is the rule that prohibits internet service providers like Verizon can’t slow, speed up or block websites based on their own internal guidelines.
A vote to change that rule is scheduled for next week, and the
FCC has signaled that it will pass in spite of widespread opposition.
Access Humboldt Executive Director Sean McLaughlin said the end of net neutrality would hit rural communities especially hard.
“One of the things you’ll hear from the FCC is if you don’t like the fact that your internet provider is filtering your content, go find another internet provider. In rural communities there is no alternative or very few alternatives so it’s not like you can just choose another provider,” McLaughlin said. “What our message today is, tell any policy maker you know your city officials, particularly your federal; elected officials our congressman who supports, our senators, let them know we’re not going to stand for this.”