Fight For The Future

Senator Ron Wyden: please don't betray the Internet!

Oregon's Senator Ron Wyden has long been a champion of the free and open Internet. Now, the future of the web rests in his hands.

Some of the most corrupt politicians in Washington, DC are pushing hard right now for so-called "Fast Track" legislation, also known as "Trade Promotion Authority" which would hastily ram the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) through U.S. Congress without meaningful debate. A deal could be "days away."

The TPP is a massive trade deal, like NAFTA or the FTAA, that was negotiated in almost complete secrecy. But thanks to leaked versions of the text, we know that the TPP contains extreme provisions that could lead to widespread Internet censorship.

We've defeated Fast Track twice before already, but Senator Ron Wyden is actively engaged in backroom negotiations to get the bill passed.

We've got one chance to stop this. Please use the link below to tweet this image at @RonWyden asking him to be a hero for the Internet and oppose undemocratic Fast Track legislation.

Click here to tweet this image at @RonWyden

Then give him a call to make sure he gets the message:
(202) 224-5244

Can't tweet? Send Ron Wyden an email asking him to oppose Fast Track for the TPP!

"Dear Senator Ron Wyden. You have long been a champion of Internet freedom. Please don't betray the Internet -- be a hero by opposing undemocratic Fast Track legislation that would advance the secretive TPP without transparency or meaningful public debate."

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Internet Activists are following Sen Ron Wyden across Oregon flying #WydenBlimp.

Internet activists fly 30-foot blimp outside all of Ron Wyden’s “Town Hall” meetings calling for him to oppose Fast Track for the TPP

MEDIA ADVISORY
March 13th, 2015
Contact: Evan Greer, Fight for the Future
Email: press@fightforthefuture.org
Phone: 978-852-6457

Internet freedom activists to fly 30-foot blimp outside all of Senator Ron Wyden’s “Town Hall” meetings Friday and Saturday calling for him to “Save the Internet” by opposing Fast Track for the Trans-Pacific Partnership

OREGON––Activists working keep the Internet free from censorship are trekking across Oregon Friday and Saturday following Senator Ron Wyden to all of his “Town Hall” meetings and flying a giant 30 foot blimp dangling a banner that reads: “Ron Wyden: It’s up to you. Don’t betray us! Save the Internet. No Fast Track for the TPP.” The banner also features popular Internet “memes” like Grumpy Cat, and a reference to the massive online protests against SOPA, a bill that Senator Wyden opposed. The blimp action is being organized by Fight for the Future, a digital rights nonprofit best known for their vibrant online campaigns that have mobilized millions of people to take action for net neutrality, online privacy, and free speech.

The 30-foot blimp will be flying outside all of Senator Wyden’s Town Hall meetings in the following locations. There will be excellent opportunities for photos and visuals on site, and Fight for the Future will have high resolution photos and videos available for use by the media after the event.

Friday, March 13th
UMATILLA, OR: 10:30am Clara Brownell Middle School (1300 7th St)
LA GRANDE, OR: 5:00pm Union County Senior Center (1504 N Albany St) Saturday, March 14th
BAKER CITY, OR: 10:00am Baker County Senior Center (2810 Cedar St)
ONTARIO, OR: 3:30pm Four Rivers Cultural Center (676 SW 5th Ave)


Fight for the Future campaign director Evan Greer said, “Senator Wyden has been a strong supporter of Internet freedom issues during his entire career. We are shocked that he is considering supporting anti-democratic Fast Track legislation that would allow the future of the Internet to be decided behind closed doors. We are flying this blimp across Oregon because Senator Wyden needs to know that the Internet is depending on him, and where he stands on this issue will decide whether he is remembered as a hero or a traitor.”

To request an interview with one of the organizers or to request photos and video of the protest, please email press@fightforthefuture.org or call 978-852-6457.

So what's so bad about Fast Track and the TPP anyway?

Hundreds of civil society groups from across the political spectrum have banded together to oppose Fast Track and the TPP. Many feel that it is fundamentally undemocratic, and that decisions that affect all of us should never be made in secret.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has this excellent summary of some of the terrifying problems with the TPP from an Internet freedom perspective.

Check out this link, we've summarized it for you below:

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  • Escalate DRM Restrictions: Lock-in and expand rules that make it a crime for you to free your device of digital locks, known as Digital Rights Management (DRM). These locks come with most tech devices and content to protect copyright, but in practice, they prevent you from doing all kinds of legal activities like unlock your phone, watch movies on different platforms, or hack and ticker with a digital device you've purchased.

  • Force Websites and ISPs to Police for Copyright Violations: Provisions in TPP will require countries to force ISPs into privately enforcing copyright protection rules. This opens the door for Internet filtering, DNS blocking, repeat infringer policies that lead to terminated accounts, and ISPs monitoring users and disclosing their identities to rightsholders.

  • New Threats to Journalists and Whistleblowers: Dangerously vague text on the misuse of trade secrets, which could be used to enact harsh criminal punishments against anyone who reveals or even accesses information through a "computer system" that is allegedly confidential.

  • Expand Copyright Terms: Reinforce and extend already-excessive lengths of copyright restriction beyond existing international norms. The TPP for instance, could lengthen copyright term protections from Life of the author + 50 years, to Life +70 years for works created by individuals, and either 95 years after publication or 120 years after creation for corporate owned works (such as Mickey Mouse).

  • Undermine Safeguards for User Privacy: Provisions on the "free flow of information" that seem to be about free expression, but could be used to unravel nationally-mandated consumer protections for personal data.

That doesn't sound like the type of thing the Ron Wyden we know would be supporting. Please share this page and take action to ask Senator Wyden to stick to his principles and oppose this anti-democratic legislation.