Why were Facebook, Google, and Amazon so quiet about net neutrality?

We are in danger of replacing one set of conglomerates for another

In the weeks leading up to Wednesday’s day of protest over net neutrality in the U.S., big tech names signed on to join the fight to keep it. Among them were some of the biggest names on the internet, including Amazon, Google, and Facebook, all of which have a vested business interest in all Americans being able to access their sites quickly and frequently. But those sites did not go dark Wednesday. They didn’t slow down in an effort to mimic what life might be like for some were net neutrality to end. Instead, they mostly pointed users to other, pro-net neutrality pages.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote that he and the rest of his team “strongly support” net neutrality regulations. “We’re also open to working with members of Congress and anyone else on laws to protect net neutrality,” he wrote, and linked to the Internet Association’s site for the day of action. Google’s statement was similar. A post at its public policy blog noted that “today’s open internet ensures that both new and established services, whether offered by an established internet company like Google, a broadband provider, or a small startup, have the same ability to reach users on an equal playing field.” Google linked to…