Internet Slowdown Day to fill Web with loading icons in protest

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Be warned — the Internet may appear to be full of loading icons like these today. No, Internet connections aren’t going to be massively slower.

But it will certainly look that way, according to battleforthenet.com.

Internet Slowdown Day is part of an online protest in favor of net neutrality.

Participating websites, including Reddit, Kickstarter and Wordpress are displaying a spinning loading icon, warning viewers that without net neutrality, the site may be slowed down.

Net neutrality is the principle that Internet service providers like Verizon and Comcast should not be able to charge websites for faster speeds, or “fast lanes.”

The Federal Communications Commission is considering allowing fast and slow lanes, according to Techcrunch.com.

However, the overflow of public comments regarding net neutrality (over a million, Techcrunch reports) has been so vast that FCC servers have not been able to keep up, so they have extended the comment period.

Battle for the Net offers tools for website developers to show their stance on net neutrality, embed a loading icon and encourage viewers to contact lawmakers.

Check out the full announcement here.

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Mike Denison