On July 12th, Private Internet Access will join other technology companies in a day of action to save net neutrality. Companies supporting the Battle for the Net day of action include Github, Mozilla, Kickstarter, Etsy, Amazon, Vimeo, BitTorrent, and many more. July 12th was chosen because it is days before the end of the first FCC comment period. The day of action is being organized by Fight for the Future (FFTF). FFTF commented:

“From the SOPA blackout to the Internet Slowdown, we’ve shown time and time again that when the Internet comes together, we can stop censorship and corruption. Now, we have to do it again!”

Join us on July 12th to save net neutrality

Noticeably absent from the list of supporting tech companies that wish to save net neutrality is Netflix, whose CEO Reed Hastings has recently commented that net neutrality is no longer Netflix’s concern or battle. Not all companies feel the same, though. Michael Cheah, general counsel at Vimeo, one of the tech companies backing the day of action, commented to The Guardian:

“Net neutrality made it possible for Vimeo, along with countless other startups, to innovate and thrive. The FCC’s proposed rollback of the 2015 open internet rules threatens to impede that innovation and allow a handful of incumbent ISPs to determine winners and losers.”

If net neutrality is lost, Americans could soon be stuck with an Internet where your favorite services and websites are forced into a slow lane online, while the websites and services owned by your ISP, or extra cosy with them, will not count towards your data cap. You could even get a taste of an internet without net neutrality by using the Removal of Net Neutrality simulator, a Google Chrome extension that demonstrates the slippery slope of a closed internet. The end result will be a barrier of entry to the internet ecosystem, at both the on and off ramps, that will impede growth in the industry – including shackling the nascent internet of things movement. If this doesn’t sound like the internet that you want to use, then join us today, on July 12th, and every day between and after to continue to fight for an open internet and save net neutrality.

Disclosure: Private Internet Access is a financial supporter of FFTF