Visitors to Facebook, Google, Netflix and dozens of other websites likely will be greeted today by a special message about the future of the internet, as part of a broad campaign by the companies to stop what they say is a threat to the web as most consumers know it.

In dispute are a set of federal regulations saying that Internet providers should not slow down, block or charge websites extra fees while treating other sites differently. The Federal Communications Commission is currently weighing how to repeal those so-called “net neutrality” rules, in a move that’s expected to benefit internet providers such as Verizon and AT&T.

Internet activists, such as the Internet Association and the Fight for the Future, argue that repealing the FCC’s net neutrality rules would give internet service providers, or ISPs, too much power to determine what consumers can and can’t see online, and for what price.

To that end, they’ve partnered not only with Google and Netflix but also some of the world’s top online applications — including reddit, Airbnb and Spotify — to oppose the FCC’s proposed actions.

Here’s everything you should know about today’s “day of action.”

What will we see
on these websites?

It’s up to each site to decide how far to go — and virtually all of them are mum about what they intend to do — but the participating businesses are expected either to write messages to visitors, or change the look of their homepages or user interfaces, in ways that make it impossible to browse those sites without learning about the issue of net neutrality. Some may post graphics like these that seek to simulate the experience of a “slower” internet.

Reddit, for example, will be altering its logo and displaying a message from chief executive Steve Huffman to visitors at the top of its homepage, according to a forthcoming company blog post obtained by The Washington Post.

“Net neutrality ensures that the free market — not big cable — picks the winners and losers,” wrote the site’s co-founder, Alexis Ohanian. “We’ve been here before, and this time we’re facing even worse odds.”

What is net neutrality?

Net neutrality is a principle about fairness on the internet. It holds that no ISP should be able to unfairly manipulate your internet usage or your experience of the web, particularly in ways that harm other businesses.

Proponents of the FCC’s net neutrality rules, which were passed in 2015, say strong regulations are necessary to prevent ISPs from artificially directing customers to sites and applications they control or with whom they share special business relationships.

Opponents say the rules are overly burdensome and that softening the rules would help them upgrade their networks.

The rules also ban internet providers from extracting payments from websites as a condition of having their content delivered to consumers’ screens.

The rules apply equally to wired and wireless providers, and also allow the FCC to investigate carrier practices that it deems are a potential threat to competition.

The FCC wants to repeal its own rules that were passed two years ago?

That’s correct. When President Donald Trump was inaugurated, the FCC passed from Democratic control to Republican. Now, currently with a 2-1 majority, the Republican FCC is seeking to roll back the net neutrality regulations.