The internet as we know it is in serious danger thanks to FCC chairman Ajit Pai and the entire Trump administration’s desire to put corporations ahead of citizens whenever possible, but the people who aren’t Verizon executives and actually like the internet as it is aren’t just going to give up. That’s where an organization called Fight For The Future comes in, and while it might sound like viral marketing for a Terminator sequel, it has also organized a campaign to draw attention to the importance of net neutrality that it’s calling “Break The Internet.”
As explained on the campaign’s website, Fight For The Future is rallying together everyone it can find to spend tomorrow, December 12, making a bunch of noise about net neutrality. Specifically, it’s asking people to add intrusive pop-ups and headers to their websites reflecting the horrors of a non-neutral net—like requests to upgrade your internet subscription plan or notifications that your ISP has blocked or throttled the loading speed of the URL you’re on. It’s also asking people to tweet every 10 minutes about the FCC’s impending vote on whether or not to repeal net neutrality, change their Facebook relationship status to “married to the free and open internet,” or—if you’re really want to cover every single base—add job experience on LinkedIn about defending the free and open internet.
A number of major websites are already on board with the digital protest, including Reddit, Patreon, Etsy, Pinterest, and PornHub. The FCC vote will happen on December 14, and if net neutrality is repealed, it would allow internet service providers to cut speeds, jack up prices, and force you into cable-style bundles that limit which sites you can access. You can read more information about it here from our friends at Lifehacker: