Why We Care

If Google wants to continue to help build and protect the Open Internet, the company must take a strong position in defence of net neutrality and Title II. Google’s silence on this issue could cause incalculable harm; it could contribute to changing the Internet forever into a system of tightly controlled tiers with mass censorship and discrimination at its core. Google's role in this debate is more crucial than ever. As one of the largest stakeholders in this fight, U.S. policymakers are eager to understand where Google stands.

Google has already said publicly that it is against paid prioritization on the internet, and the Internet Association, a trade group they are a member of, has rebutted the cable industry's claims against real net neutrality and Title II. But even though 3.7 million comments have been filed with the FCC overwhelmingly in favor of net neutrality and Title II, Google has not filed comments of their own to this effect.

The fight over net neutrality is one of the biggest challenges the internet has faced. That's why Google employees are standing with the millions of Americans and thousands of startups and small businesses to fight the cable and phone monopolies and ask Google’s executives to use their power to protect net neutrality.

As Google employees, we chose to work for the Open Internet. Today, we hope that Google will side with the Open Internet unambiguously and urge the FCC to reclassify ISP’s as telecommunications services, as they should have been all along.

We can’t allow for a new era of American discrimination. The booming environment for U.S. Internet companies has allowed them to lead the world thanks to a predictable environment largely free from Internet censorship and interference. The same can’t be said for Europe and Asia. We need strong enforceable rules to ensure continued growth and success. The Internet should be a bastion of creativity and new ideas. We must do all we can to keep the U.S. Internet a leading example of free speech and open innovation.

As a leading voice for the best attributes of the internet, its employees and the public want to see Google stand with the only legally defensible way to achieve net neutrality, that is reclassification of ISP’s as Title II common carriers. We believe in the power of the Internet as an open medium, and we must also recognize our power in this debate. We urge Google leadership to stand with us and take a stand now to ensure net neutrality.