Google, Facebook join online protest of net neutrality rollback

WASHINGTON - How many online activists does it take to save Silicon Valley's favorite Obama-era regulation?

Organizers of an online protest aimed at derailing a Republican plan to roll back net neutrality rules are hoping the magic number is 70,000. That's the number of sites and organizations - including Amazon.com, Google, Facebook and even President Donald Trump's favored medium, Twitter - that have pledged to participate.

On Wednesday, the big commercial sites will join scores of online activists and businesses in telling users about the change planned in Washington, D.C., ask the visitors to contact Congress and the Federal Communications Commission, where Republican Chairman Ajit Pai a Trump appointee, commands a majority and is moving toward gutting the rule against interfering with web traffic.

The protest comes as Democratic lawmakers bring renewed focus on the issue. Democratic senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Brian Schatz of Hawaii on Monday asked the FCC to ensure its computer system is prepared to withstand the expected surge of comments. Both senators support the embattled rule.

Already the FCC has received 5.6 million comments on the issue, ahead of a July 17 deadline for remarks. In May, televised commentary from comedian John Oliver sparked a surge of comments to the FCC.

Mark Wigfield, an FCC spokesman, declined to comment on the protests.

Organizers hope for an outpouring that can change a seemingly certain trajectory toward action by the FCC to roll back the rule that forbids broadband providers led by AT&T Inc., Comcast Corp. and Verizon Communications Inc. from blocking or slowing data - to hinder rivals, for example, or to favor affiliated services.

Protest organizers say that if Pai succeeds in weakening or eliminating the rule, broadband companies will slow web traffic, block rivals' internet content, censor unpopular viewpoints and charge extra fees.

Backers of Pai's move say the net-neutrality rule claims too much authority over private broadband providers, discourages investment needed to spread fast internet service to more people, and that a competitive market will ensure broadband providers treat traffic fairly.