The debate over net neutrality is back in full swing after new leadership at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) came out in support of overturning regulations for Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
At Trello, we build our product and company on the values of transparency and collaboration. Net neutrality is just as vital a part of those values as the shared perspective we’ve built in our product. That's why we are joining our peers to preserve freedom of connection and access on the internet.
Here’s what all of that means, why we oppose the FCC’s proposal, and what you can do to help us:
Back Up A Second: What Is Net Neutrality?
Net neutrality is a concept that essentially states that all folks using the internet have the ability to access the same content, regardless of where they are connecting from and how much they are paying for that connection.
While you can pay for differing overall internet speed tiers (modem, cable, Fios, etc), it is not currently permissible for ISPs to provide slow internet to specific websites while allowing uninhibited access to others under the same internet plan.
This practice was underlined in an FCC ruling that deemed ISPs to be akin to utilities like electric or gas. Under that rationale, and regardless of a provider's alliance with a particular brand or service, ISPs shouldn't be able to create content based limits on access to information.
Why Is This Important?
The goal of our product is to give our users a shared perspective via a Trello board. When everyone is on the same page of a project, all the goals, milestones, blockers, and status reports are transparent to everyone involved.
Fortune 500 companies in America, small non-profit NGOs based in third-world countries, and every type of team in between are all adapting Trello boards in different ways to support their missions. All of these initiatives deserve the same fundamental right to access the internet in its entirety, regardless of their financial situation.
Overturning rules around net neutrality conflicts with Trello’s core values. Internet citizens should be able to be on the same page and access content without bias based on ISP or other external, arbitrary factors. Access to information needs to be fair.
What We’re Doing About It (And You Can, Too!)
All of us at Atlassian, Trello’s parent company, firmly support the principles outlined in the Battle For The Net initiative. We joined thousands of other tech companies in seeking to defend the FCC regulations set out by Title II by signing the petition for maintaining net neutrality.
Stand with us and show your support for this important initiative to preserve the free and open access of the internet as we know it.
Good or bad, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Find us on Twitter (@trello)!
