Net Neutrality is an important issue for CloudFlare as well as for our more than 2 million customers, whose success depends on a vibrant, dynamic, and open Internet. An open Internet promotes innovation, removes barriers to entry, and provides a platform for free expression.
That's why we’re announcing a new app that lets you easily participate in the “Internet Slowdown” on September 10th, 2014.
Battleforthenet.com (a project of Demand Progress, Engine Advocacy, Fight for the Future, and Free Press) has organized a day of protest against the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposal that will allow Internet providers to charge companies additional fees to provide access to those companies’ content online. Those additional fees will allow Internet service providers to essentially choose which parts of the Internet you will get to access normally, and which parts may be slow or inaccessible.
As we’ve seen that bandwidth pricing is not reflective of the underlying fair market value when Internet service providers have monopolistic control, we can only fret that a similar situation will be presented by a lack of net neutrality.
The Battle for the Net pop-up (intentionally obtrusive) will simulate a loading screen that website users may see if the website is put into an Internet “slow lane.”
Battle for the Net pop-up
When web visitors see this pop-up, they will be prompted to contact Congress, the FCC, and the White House.
Organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and others have joined this effort to express their concern regarding the impact that losing net neutrality can have on the freedom and openness of the Internet. For more information, please visit battleforthenet.com.
Installing the Battle for the Net App
You can add the app to your site, starting today. It is free. The banner will automatically appear on September 10, 2014 and only on that day. As with any CloudFlare App, installation is just one click — no coding necessary.
Above is a screenshot of what the modal looks like on an example website. The modal appears in front of the center of the site and will be permanently dismissed by a visitor by clicking the (X) in the upper right hand corner. The app makes the banner automatically appear on September 10, 2014. After September 10th, the app will be automatically removed by CloudFlare.