Race to The White House - B11

This travel bug was placed by us, young people in Global Kids, Inc. and the Brooklyn Public Library in the summer of 2012. We placed a total of 48 bugs all over Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn associated with topics we feel are important to society and should be discussed in the 2012 Presidential Election campaigns. This travel bug is racing against the other travel bugs. If you want to get your and our point across, will you help it run the race?

The issue for this travel bug is: Net Neutrality

The internet has become a very useful system of exchanging information and a part of everyday life. Since its creation the internet has been guided by the principle of Net Neutrality. Net Neutrality is the shorthand term for the principle that companies that operate a telecommunications network, like the telephone, cable, and Internet companies, shouldn't be able to play favorites with the content that goes over the network. However, some people are abusing the internet by sharing and distributing copyrighted materials. This is called piracy. Also, some companies want the ability to also regulate access to their networks which threatens to privilege their content over those of others.

The U.S. Government is taking action to fight piracy and other illegal activities. However, these attempts may affect freedom of speech through the internet. One example is the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) which was created by the government with the guidance of telecommunication companies to address their concerns about piracy. It gives the government power to take down websites without notice or due process.

We are concerned about censorship and the internet. Do corporations or the government have the right to control what you can access on the internet?