Trillium Wins Significant Victory in Net Neutrality Fight

Trillium Asset Management and other socially responsible investors have won a significant victory in the fight for net neutrality. After years of denial, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ruled that investors will have the opportunity to press Internet Service Providers (ISPs) AT&T, Verizon and Sprint to adopt policies that would insure their neutral handling of all Internet content regardless of the sender, recipient or nature of the content.

The companies had sought to block shareholders from voting on the proposals by arguing, among other things, that network neutrality was not a “significant public policy issue.”

The SEC rejected that argument in view of “the sustained public debate over the last several years concerning net neutrality and the Internet and the increasing recognition that the issue raises significant policy considerations.”  Shareholder proposals regarding net neutrality had been successfully blocked in three prior years.

“Wireless networks in many ways represent the future of the Internet and the digital economy – which is why it’s so important that these principles be considered by the companies and their investors” said Farnum Brown, Chief Investment Strategist for Trillium Asset Management.

To read the press release and the SEC’s letter, click here.