Today, in response to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision to implement so-called “net neutrality” and in the wake of the FCC releasing details on the new regulations, the Free Speech Alliance (FSA), a project of the Media Research Center (MRC), announced the formation of the "Free the Internet!" Campaign, which will draw attention to and push back against the egregious assault on free speech by left-wing organizations and the Obama administration.
Noted MRC president Brent Bozell in his statement announcing the launch of the campaign:
The FCC’s decision to move forward with radical, new Internet regulations is disturbing. Given what we know about government intervention in a whole host of areas, turning the Internet into a utility is unconscionable. This decision continues the administration’s alarming trend of moving aggressively to regulate – even silence – speech with which it disagrees.
The continued influence and meddling of loathsome, anti-free speech tycoons was on display in our report which showed leftist groups spent nearly $200 million in support of these speech suppression regulations. Add to that the discovery that the government cited these same groups in the FCC report, and it’s easy to see where this is headed. Predictably, the media failed to expose the insidious nature of ‘net neutrality’ regulations.
"Free the Internet!" Campaign will stand against any and all efforts to supress speech, political or otherwise. One of the hallmarks of our democratic republic is that speech – even speech with which we disagree – must be protected. These moves by the FCC trample on the original intent of the Constitution and should be a wakeup call to all who value the First Amendment.
On March 12, the FCC published the text of its regulations. The 320-page document cites groups funded by liberal billionaire activist George Soros or the Ford Foundation 206 times, according to a study from MRC Business. In a prior study released February 25, MRC discovered that Soros and Ford Foundation spent $196 million pushing net neutrality through its various networks and acolytes.
Net neutrality has rightly given many cause for concern as liberal groups and activists work with the administration to bully and silence conservative speech. From unwarranted and unnecessary Internet regulations and endorsement of community ownership of the Internet by the President to a rogue IRS, the impetus to create “Free the Internet!” Campaign is urgent.
