'Internet Slowdown' Campaign Gets Backing from YouTube, Twitter and Netflix

Twitter, YouTube and NetFlix have joined the Internet Slowdown day of action with the aim of promoting net neutrality and preventing the passing of regulation that would allow for a "two-speed" internet.

The tech giants join the likes of Reddit, Vimeo, Wordpress and Boing Boing in pledging their support for the Battle for the Net campaign that planned today's event.

The Internet Slowdown Day has seen the websites post symbolic loading icons - described as "dreaded spinning wheels of death" - to demonstrate how the speed of sites will be affected if internet service providers (ISPs) introduce internet "fast lanes", as proposed by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The Battle for the Net campaign has been organised by advocacy groups Fight for the Future, Free Press and Demand Progress, who are hoping to raise awareness of the proposed regulations.

The deadline for public comments to be submitted to the FCC is 15 September, having been extended in July due to overwhelming interest from the public.

"Thus far in 2014, millions of people have called upon the FCC to pass and enforce real net neutrality protections," Timothy Karr, senior director of strategy at Free Press, told IBTimes UK.

"No issue in the history of the agency has seen a larger public response, or one that is more overwhelmingly opposed to FCC chairman Wheeler's proposed rules - which would undermine the open internet.

"Our goal is to show that the internet-using community is united in defence of the open internet, and that the FCC must put our demands for net neutrality protections before the narrow interests of phone and cable companies."