Net Neutrality Groups Take Aim at Google HQ with Protests

Several consumer and political groups are taking aim at Google with plans to protest the number one search engine company's headquarters in Mountain View, California. The protests are in response to Google's and Verizon's recent proposals for "net neutrality," which many critics point out, is so riddled with loopholes for ISP and mobile phone companies that it is almost embarrassing.

Groups lining up to protest include MoveOn.org Civic Action, ColorofChange.org, Credo Action, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Free Press, among others. The groups say that this protest is to "urge the search-engine giant to live up to its corporate motto: 'Don't Be Evil,'" according to a statement distributed by Free Press. The rally will take place at 3:00 PM EST today in front of Google Headquarters, located at Amphitheatre Parkway and Charleston Road in Mountain View, California.

The proposal, which Google defended today, calls for net neutrality principles to be applied to broadband but not wireless services. It also offers some proposals that many see as loopholes for service providers that basically takes the regulatory power away from the FCC and allows interested parties to monitor traffic based on behavior deemed inappropriate..

But consumers and other agitated parties want Google to abandon this proposal, which they believe "threatens to destroy Network Neutrality - the fundamental principle that keeps the Internet open and free from discrimination."

Free Press and SavetheInternet.com, are also circulating an online petition that asks FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski to denounce the plan. Free Press said Thursday that more than 300,000 people have signed it. Meanwhile, The FCC has not made any public statements about the Google-Verizon proposal. Google was also criticized by Facebook for its proposal today. Pile on.

Source: Gearlog