Today’s FCC ruling was historic. You thought defeating SOPA & PIPA was a feat? This time the internet rallied to create something that would protect our open internet. Eight months ago, a redditor named TheArmedGamer posted a link to the /r/technology community saying: “Reddit, there are only 45,000 comments on the FCC’s proposed anti-Net Neutrality rules. Let’s fix that.”

They set off a cascade of comments, millions of them, that ended up setting a record for the FCC. You all even helped us, reddit the company, write our own comments to the FCC. And just as recently as a month ago, you responded to our phone-a-thon, making over 15,000 calls in a span of just three hours to your representatives and the FCC. You did this.

A year ago, they said it’d be futile. Today, we defeated opponents of net neutrality who have spent tens of millions of dollars every year lobbying government.

We defeated them by spending our time. Thank you.

And this was not just noticed by all of us at team reddit, but also by the President himself, who sent us this message he asked us to share with all of you:

Earlier today, the FCC voted to protect a free and open internet — the kind of internet that allows entrepreneurs to thrive and debates over duck-sized horses and horse-sized ducks to persist. This would not have happened without the activism and engagement of millions of Americans like you. And that was a direct result of communities like reddit. So to all the redditors who participated in this movement, I have a simple message: Thank you. —President Barack Obama

And here’s a note from the President that the community at /r/penmanshipporn will especially appreciate.



Two years ago, the President said this when asked about internet freedom:

https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/z1c9z/i_am_barack_obama_president_of_the_united_states/c60n24

Thanks, Obama.