Wikileaks just released the text of a trade agreement that’s even more secretive than the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and poses just as great a risk to our Internet freedom.
You should read this entire email, but if you’re in a rush, please click here to take action. Congress is moving to “Fast Track” these agreements THIS WEEK, and the vote will be terrifyingly close. Your voice counts right now more than ever, use it before it’s too late!
You’ve probably never heard of the agreement that Wikileaks just exposed, because like the TPP it’s been negotiated in almost complete secrecy. It’s so secret, in fact, that the text is intended to be classified for five years after the agreement goes into effect.1
It’s called the Trade in Services Agreement, or TISA, and the leaked texts show why governments are working so hard to keep it quiet: like the TPP, TISA could have devastating effects on Internet freedom and privacy, and could even be abused by monopolistic cable companies to undermine global net neutrality.2
Congress is voting this week! Click here to tell them not to “Fast Track” secret trade agreements that break the Internet.
Based on what we’ve heard, the vote is scheduled for this Thursday, and there are still a large number of lawmakers who are undecided.
Unlike most issues, “Fast Track” is not playing out like a partisan circus. Both Democrats and Republicans oppose it for their own reasons (many Democrats are concerned that these secret trade agreements could lead to offshoring American jobs and undermining environmental standards, while Republicans are hesitant to give President Obama additional authority to conduct negotiations in secret.)
No matter what your political persuasion is, we can all agree that decisions that affect the future of the Internet and our most basic rights should never be made behind closed doors without public debate.
We have a once in a lifetime chance to stop Fast Track this week, but time is running out. Click here to take action right now!
The bad news about Fast Track is also the good news. If we lose on this vote and Fast Track passes, it almost certainly means that the TPP and TISA (and any other agreement that this President or the next one cooks up) will become law. But if we win, we REALLY win, and it’s likely that we can stop these anti-democratic agreements once and for all, and protect the Internet for generations to come.
We’ve done the math, and if every person who reads this takes action, we would almost definitely drive enough contacts to Congress to stop this vote. Click here to do your part.
Thanks team. We’re on the brink of another huge victory for the net. I can almost taste it. But we’ll need to remain vigilant this week.
More soon. Thanks for all you do.
-Evan Greer at Fight for the Future
P.S. Industry lobbyists are pouring into DC right now to do everything they can to buy more votes for Fast Track. Will you chip in $5 to help us fight them with our creative campaigns?
[1] The New Republic. ”The Scariest Trade Deal Nobody’s Talking About Just Suffered A Major Leak.”
[2] Electronic Frontier Foundation. “TISA: Yet Another Leaked Treaty You’ve Never Heard Of Makes Secret Rules for the Internet.”
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