UCC Media Justice is very disappointed in the federal court opinion overturning the Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality protections. UCC Media Justice has been a strong advocate of these rules for many years, including through our Faithful Internet initiative.
We joined with civil rights leaders and faith leaders in urging the FCC to adopt these important protections. Both communities are particularly damaged by a loss of net neutrality protections because, as the Bishop Coyne, then-chair of the U.S. Catholic Conference Chair of the Committee on Communications, stated in 2017, “non-profit communities, both religious and secular, cannot afford to pay to compete with profitable commercialized content.”
Or, as we say at the UCC, “don’t put God in the slow lane.”
The court decision misconstrued the law and the facts to reach this unfortunate result. This ruling, however, applies to the FCC’s authority to impose protections. In the past, when federal protections fell aside, state leaders stepped in. The state of California’s strong net neutrality protections remain in place, and were very successful in protecting consumers the last time federal net neutrality protections were removed. Prior court decisions make clear that the states can now move in and we strongly encourage states to protect broadband consumers and the First Amendment online by taking action.
Without communication that is accountable to the people who use it, we could have lost many invaluable elements of culture and art that uplift us to this day, we would not be able to share the great teachings of the world’s religions and philosophies.
Cheryl Leanza, UCC Media Justice Policy Advisory, stated:
“Faith communities and marginalized people 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. Net neutrality is particularly important so that these groups can reach the public directly through their own websites, free of the thicket of unpredictable social media platform algorithims. UCC Media Justice will continue its work for net neutrality and open internet protections because they are a fundamental piece of true media justice.”