The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is in the process of creating new rules that may determine how open the Internet will be, who will profit most from it and whether start-ups will face new barriers that will make it harder for ideas to flourish.

The New York Times recently reported that the proposed changes, “…could radically reshape how Internet content is delivered to consumers…and…likely to eventually raise prices to customers…” This Times article also noted that:

 Consumer groups immediately attacked the proposal, saying that not only would costs rise, but also that big, rich companies with the money to pay large fees to Internet service providers would be favored over small start-ups with innovative business models.

 “If it goes forward, this capitulation will represent Washington at its worst,” said Todd O’Boyle, program director of Common Cause’s Media and Democracy Reform Initiative. “Americans were promised, and deserve, an Internet that is free of toll roads, fast lanes and censorship — corporate or governmental.”

 A posting at Zero Hedge describes the FCC proposal this way:

 This is truly the American way of censorship. Figure out how those with the deepest pockets can smother the free speech of those with little or no voice on the one medium in which information flow is still treated equally.

 Here’s a link to a good video, “Why the FCC Is Ditching Net Neutrality.” You can use the link there (or here) to submit a comment to the FCC.

Use this link to sign a White House petition demanding Net Neutrality be preserved.