CYBERSPACE—In May, the Federal Communications Commission revealed its proposal to repeal the agency’s net neutrality rules and opened up a public comment period that extends through Aug. 17.
And since then, there has indeed been plenty of comment—as well as action.
A protest planned for July 12 will bring together scores of companies, including some of the biggest on the web, to engage in an “internet-wide day of action to save net neutrality.”
According to the group, “The FCC wants to destroy net neutrality and give big cable companies control over what we see and do online. If they get their way, they’ll allow widespread throttling, blocking, censorship, and extra fees.”
One of those popular sites is, not surprisingly, Pornhub, which made the case about why net neutrality matters to adult companies in an article published by Motherboard about a week ago.
And today Motherboard.com followed up with another article on the subject: “Porn Companies Tell Us Why the End of Net Neutrality Will Make Porn Boring.” In addition to getting quotes from the ubiquitous Pornhub, reporter Samantha Cole also talked to Kink.com, ManyVids, and xHamster.
Kink.com spokesman Michael Stabile cut straight to the heart of the matter, noting how difficult it was 15 years ago for consumers to find quality fetish content. "We were severely restricted by distributors, by billing companies, and by limitations in internet speeds,” Stabile pointed out. “The quickening of the internet has meant that many more people have access, and can reach our content, and thus stop feeling loneliness and shame. When you slow sections of the internet, you're telling people that some ideas and sexualities and identities are second-class, and you bring that shame back. The internet becomes The Big Vanilla."
To read more about this issue and its effect on the adult entertainment industry, click here for the Motherboard story.
To read more about net neutrality, go to BattleForTheNet.com. Or go here to get involved in the July 12 day of action.
