Cyclist Protests Net Neutrality by 'Throttling' Traffic Outside the FCC Headquarters

Disrupting traffic has long been a way for protesters to call attention to a cause. But when the cause itself is speed—in this case, Internet speed—the move takes on an extra level of defiance. That’s what one cyclist made clear when he used his bike to protest the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC voted in December to end Obama-era rules for Internet service providers. By doing away with so-called net neutrality, critics say, the agency opened the door to broadband companies blocking access to certain websites or slowing down Internet speeds unless users pay a fee—a process known as “throttling.” Rob Bliss, a video director for the website Seriously.TV, was upset with the FCC’s decision. So he grabbed a bike and headed to Washington, DC, to do some throttling of his own.