Simitian Urges Santa Clara County to Stand up for Net Neutrality, Open Internet
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAN JOSE – On Tuesday, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors will take up a resolution supporting the protection of Net Neutrality, and calling on the Federal Government to defend and preserve the free and open internet.
The resolution, introduced by County Supervisor Joe Simitian, calls Net Neutrality “necessary for the prosperity of the Santa Clara County local economy,” and emphasizes the importance of defending free access to the internet, especially in the face of proposed rollbacks of key protections at the federal level.
“Especially here in Silicon Valley, the internet is a driving force behind our economy,” said Simitian. “It creates jobs, fosters innovation, and connects us to each other, even across the globe. An open internet is key to the high-tech world we’ve built, and it’s up to us to help protect it.”
Net Neutrality is the principle that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) should not favor or block access to content online. Without strong Net Neutrality protections, ISPs would be able to slow down or speed up access to certain information online, allowing big companies to buy an advantage over competitors through use of a data “fast lane.”
“Net Neutrality isn’t a new idea; it’s the way the internet has always worked,” said Simitian. “When you go online, you expect that you’ll be able to see the information you’re looking for. Without these protections, you might only be able to see what your provider decides you should.”
In 2015 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) put new protections in place to prevent throttling, blocking, and paid-prioritization of information online.
However, the FCC is currently considering a rollback of these protections, eliminating the Federal Government’s ability to guard against manipulation by cable companies and other ISPs.
“People in our county and around the nation depend on fair and free access to the internet for everything from their jobs, to their news, to their entertainment,” said Simitian. “It’s up to us in government to make sure that people can access the information they need, without asking for approval from their cable company.”
Mitch Stoltz, Senior Staff Attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation said, “ISPs have incentives to shape Internet traffic and the FCC knows full well of instances where consumers have been harmed. AT&T blocked data sent by Apple’s FaceTime software, Comcast has interfered with Internet traffic generated by certain applications, and ISPs have rerouted users’ web searches to websites they didn’t request or expect. These are just some examples of ISPs controlling our Internet experience. Users pay them to connect to the Internet, not decide for them what they can see and do there.”
The FCC is currently accepting public comment relating to Net Neutrality rules. The comment period ends August 30, 2017.
The Board of Supervisors will vote on the resolution at their meeting at 9:30am on Tuesday, August 29.
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