On February 26, 2015, after millions of people rallied in favor of it, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) passed a set of rules that protect internet users' right to speak freely and to access information online without interruption or discrimination — a concept called Net Neutrality. These rules ensure that the “common carriage” obligations that have been applied to telephone providers for decades, once again will apply to broadband providers. In practical terms, the FCC rules guarantee the rights to speak freely and access information online, uninterrupted and without discrimination.
“This is a real victory for freedom of expression and access to information in the United States,” said David Kaye, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression. However, the internet is global and the battle is far from over. The vast majority of internet users live outside the US, in countries where broadband providers are free to slow down, block, or otherwise interfere with content. The FCC’s decision sends a message to governments around the globe that they, too, must protect the right to seek and impart information. It’s also a message to global digital rights advocates: if the US can pass such protections, so can other countries.
