The internet’s revolutionary power lies in its ability to distribute ideas and content fairly and equally by all people, regardless of who they are and their ability to pay.
Net neutrality protects this core power. Today, the Federal Communications Commission voted to reinstate these protections, safeguarding civil and human rights by securing the freedom to receive information and share it.
Cheryl A. Leanza, UCC Media Justice policy advisor, said:
“The internet is a critical means for people of faith to share sacred texts as well as the spoken and written words of clergy or others. Many people depend on attending worship online. Faith-based and humanist traditions of all kinds know all too well what it is like to share a message that some find unpopular. Faith communities often challenge the values of an overly commercialized media marketplace and therefore, like other creators of noncommercial speech, cannot afford to pay additional costs for fair treatment. Net neutrality protections for an open internet are essential for everyone.”
The United Church of Christ, since its founding in 1957, has stood in solidarity with people who, all too often, have been marginalized by our society’s most powerful. From stopping a national meeting to charter a plane to California to support the United Farm Workers in 1973 to throwing our support behind marriage equality in 1996, speaking out for justice is at the heart of our denomination. Unsurprisingly, the internet has become a critical part of the basic building blocks of our work—for building community, protesting for justice, and so much more.
This tradition is why UCC Media Justice collaborated with Valarie Kaur to create the Faithful Internet campaign to advocate for net neutrality protections. Four years ago, at the 39th Annual Parker Lecture, Valarie spoke movingly as to the reasons why net neutrality continues in importance today, bringing Everett Parker’s foundational work into the broadband era:
Ensuring that all content is treated the same and that everyone can access it without interference from internet service providers (ISPs) is essential. Marginalized viewpoints are often crowded out from mainstream commercial outlets but are more readily accessible online.
Today, when some viewpoints are becoming increasingly threatened — from accurate information about reproductive and transgender health issues to student access to literature that lifts up the fundamental dignity of LGBTQ people and people from all racial and ethnic backgrounds–the importance of the free flow of information online is more important than ever. Not only will the FCC’s action protect access to information over broadband, it will also protect broadband customers’ privacy at this critical time.
We are grateful that today, the FCC heard our call through both a faith community letter supporting net neutrality and a civil rights letter submitted last week urging the Commission to settle its authority over broadband internet. This means that the agency can ensure that it is available to everyone, that it is affordable, and that ISPs keep their promises.
Net neutrality is a fundamental piece of media justice, and UCC Media Justice will continue to ensure it is protected.