"Net Neutrality" is the simple but powerful principle that cable and broadband providers must treat all internet traffic equally. Whether you're loading a blog post on WordPress.com, streaming House of Cards on Netflix, or browsing handcrafted tea cozies on Etsy, your internet provider can't degrade your connection speed, block sites, or charge a toll based on the content that you're viewing.

Net neutrality has defined the internet since its inception, and it's hard to argue with the results: the internet is the most powerful engine of economic growth and free expression in history. Most importantly, the open internet is characterized by companies, products, and ideas that survive or fail depending on their own merit -- not on whether they have preferred deals in place with a broadband service provider. Unfortunately, the principle of net neutrality, and the open internet that we know and love, is under attack.

Net Neutrality under attack

The Federal Communications Commission has proposed rules that would, for the first time, expressly allow internet providers -- like Comcast, Verizon and AT&T -- to charge internet companies like Automattic, Netflix or Etsy for access to their subscribers. This means there could be "fast lanes" for companies who are able to pay providers for preferred internet access, while everyone else gets stuck in the "slow lane"...which means applications won't perform as quickly, webpages will load slowly, and of course, buffering. A slow "still loading" spinner will be an unfortunate, but common sight on the new, closed internet that the big providers want.

Unsurprisingly, the large telecom companies who stand to benefit from the FCC's proposed rules fully support their passage. They have nearly unlimited funds and hundreds of lobbyists in Washington to promote these harmful new rules.

But what they don't have is you.

What can we do to fight back?

Automattic strongly supports a free and open internet. After all, WordPress.com, and the WordPress open source project are living examples of what is possible on an unthrottled internet, open for creation, collaboration, and expression. Over the last few months, we've joined 150 major tech companies in sending a letter to Washington in support of net neutrality, and met with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler to urge him to preserve the internet we've always known.

Now it's your turn.

Automattic, along with many other companies and digital rights organizations, is proud to participate in the Internet Slowdown on September 10. For this day of action, we've built a "Fight for Net Neutrality" plugin that you can enable now on your WordPress.com blog to show support for this important cause.

You can turn the plugin on by going to your Dashboard, Settings → Fight for Net Neutrality.

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When you enable the plugin, we'll replace a few of the posts on your site with a "Still Loading" spinner...to show what life will be like on an internet that features dreaded slow lanes.

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The plugin will also display a banner that shows your support for Net Neutrality, and links to battleforthenet.com, where visitors to your site can sign a letter to the FCC about this important issue.

Please take a few minutes to enable the Fight for Net Neutrality on your site today, and visit battleforthenet.com to send a message to Washington that net neutrality must be preserved. Together we can make a difference, and we hope you'll join us in this important battle for the open internet!