This is an archive of news stories and research from the National Union of Public and General Employees. Please see our new site - https://nupge.ca - for the most current information.
Citizens should control the greatest innovations in communications history
Ottawa (18 April 2008) - As part of its ongoing campaign on net neutrality, the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) has produced and is preparing to distribute a new pamphlet called Net Neutrality and Digital Democracy.
Net Neutrality is the principle that all Internet traffic be treated equally - regardless of subject, origin, destination or application type.
Some corporations want to create a two-tier Internet that would allow them to slow or even block content that is not in their corporate interests.
This issue is not solely about exorbitant corporate profits or the growing power of telecommunications companies - it is also about the democratic rights of citizens to exercise control over one of the greatest innovations in communications history.
It also includes decades of massive investment by governments in Canada in research and development, and building and maintaining, the Internet, which could now be taken away from citizens by private companies.
NUPGE is among a growing number of Canadian organizations and Internet users who have appealed to the government to take action on the issue.
NUPGE president James Clancy has written to Industry Minister Jim Prentice asking for open, public consultations on the need for legislation to protect Internet neutrality in Canada. He has also written to the CRTC (the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) asking the regulatory agency specifically to investigate the impact of 'traffic shaping' by ISPs on Canadian Internet users.
"The National Union has become increasingly concerned about the issue of network neutrality and Canada's lack of action to protect consumers and producers of Internet material," Clancy told von Finckenstein. NUPGE
More information:
? Net Neutrality and Digital Democracy - pdf
? Pressure growing for CRTC to deal with net neutrality
? Harper government sides with big telecom companies
? NUPGE asks CRTC to investigate Internet 'traffic shaping'
? Consultations and legislation needed to protect net neutrality
? National Union and the Internet
? Stop the Throttler
? Charlie Angus-Jim Prentice exchange in Commons