Net Neutrality and Occupy Wall Street – Making A Connection

CHICAGO - The U.S. Senate may vote this week on overturning Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules aimed at guaranteeing an open Internet, whereby corporations were forbidden to give some people better access to the Web than others. And the fate of the so-called "net neutrality" rules could affect future protests like Occupy Wall Street.

At Occupy Chicago, communications volunteers count more than 33,000 Facebook "likes," 20,000 Twitter followers, and several thousand website hits every day.

So, some are asking, what would happen if the corporate entities that are the targets of protests were able to limit Internet traffic? That was tried at one point by the Egyptian government during the Arab Spring protests, and Betty Yu with the Center for Media Justice says it's a legitimate concern.

"A lot of this organizing that happened - sure, it was organic - but it would not be able to happen the way it happened, the way it flourished, if there wasn't an open Internet, period."

Opponents of net neutrality rules say they're not necessary and stifle business growth. Yu says the consolidation of wireless phone companies - like the proposed AT&T and T-Mobile merger - could also lead to a situation where the companies - or the government - could hamper Twitter communications.

Andrew Smith volunteers in the communications area of Occupy Chicago, where he says social media are used not only to mobilize demonstrators, but to make sure mainstream media report accurately on the protest

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Vote to overturn net-neutrality rules expected on Thursday

 

The Senate plans to debate a resolution to overturn the Federal Communications Commission's net-neutrality rules on Wednesday and will vote on the resolution on Thursday, according to a spokesman for Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) office did not immediately return a request to confirm the vote's schedule.


 Broadcasting and Cable first reported the timing of the vote.

The House passed a resolution to repeal the rules in April. If the Senate approves the resolution, it would then go to President Obama for his signature. Obama, who made passing net neutrality rules part of his campaign in 2008, is expected to veto the resolution if it clears Congress.

The resolution has 42 Republican co-sponsors in the Senate.

Unlike most legislation, the resolution is not subject to the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster

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