For Immediate Release: February 23, 2018
Contact: Clarissa Corona, communications@nhmc.org, 213.718.0732
Today, the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) filed a Petition for Review in the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Restoring Internet Freedom Order recently published in the Federal Register. NHMC is seeking judicial review of the FCC’s Net Neutrality repeal to protect the rights of Latinos and other marginalized communities to speak and be heard online, and will seek a determination by the court that the Order is arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion within the meaning of the Administrative Procedure Act.
NHMC is dedicated to protecting Title II Net Neutrality — consumer protections which have helped Latinos and people of color find economic and educational opportunities online, and provided a platform to organize for change without interference or censorship from Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The FCC’s repeal of these vital consumer protections gives ISPs the green light to slow down or block content and services from websites, effectively silencing Latinos and other voices of color across the Internet.
The National Hispanic Media Coalition released the following statement from Carmen Scurato, vice president of policy and general counsel:
“NHMC is challenging the FCC’s repeal of Net Neutrality in defense of Latinos and other people of color whose access to an open Internet is vital to participation in today’s digital society. Protecting Net Neutrality is about ensuring equal access to the most vital communications tool of the 21st century, which translates into access to jobs, education, healthcare services, entrepreneurial opportunities, the ability to speak and be heard, and organize for social change.”
“Throughout the proceeding NHMC uncovered 50,000 of the FCC’s own Net Neutrality consumer complaints- clear evidence that the 2015 Open Internet Order provided adequate consumer protections. Nonetheless, the FCC charged ahead without considering this key evidence as part of its rulemaking proceeding, a striking violation of the Administrative Procedure Act. NHMC will continue to raise this fatal error in process and will fight in court to reinstate Title II Net Neutrality.”
View the consumer complaints filed under the 2015 Open Internet Order here: https://nhmc.org/foia-release
In May 2017, NHMC sent a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the FCC and ultimately uncovered over 50,000 Net Neutrality consumer complaints excluded from FCC’s analysis in its repeal of the rules. NHMC continues to wait for the documents withheld by the FCC requested through FOIA. However, NHMC commissioned an independent expert report of the Net Neutrality consumer complaints that the FCC was willing to produce. The report found that both consumers and their service providers appear to consider broadband access as a basic stand-alone telecommunications service. To read the full report, click here: http://bit.ly/2z4lFQe
For interviews, please contact Clarissa Corona, at communications@nhmc.org or at 213.718.0732.
### The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) is the media watchdog for the Latino community, ensuring that we are fairly and consistently represented in news and entertainment and that our voices are heard over the airwaves and on the internet. We exist to challenge executives and influencers throughout the entertainment and news industry to eliminate barriers for Latinos to express themselves and be heard through every type of medium. NHMC works to bring decision-makers to the table to open new opportunities for Latinos to create, contribute and consume programming that is inclusive, free from bias and hate rhetoric, affordable and culturally relevant. Receive real-time updates on Facebook, Twitter @NHMC and Instagram @NHMC_org.
