Protesters denounce Google plan for 'two-tier internet'

Around 100 people rallied outside Google's California offices to protest against controversial proposals to alter how data is treated over the web.

Google and Verizon suggest treating fixed line services differently to wireless and some specialised content. This would allow net providers to give priority to certain online traffic.

Protesters outside the famed Googleplex said this would create a "pay-to-play" service and urged Google to live up to its famous motto "don't be evil".

"Companies like Google have benefited from a free and open internet and their plan will destroy that," said James Rucker of ColourofChange.org, one of many consumer and public advocacy groups taking part in the event, reports BBC News.

"They are talking about producing a fast lane, essentially a higher tier, for premium content that means if you want to play in the 21st Century internet you will have to pay."

The proposals unveiled this week by the search giant and telecom titan Verizon champion an open net for wireline services but suggest loopholes for wireless and what they called "differentiated" content.

Critics have said this would undermine the principle of net neutrality where all web data is treated equally and no-one is given preferential treatment or discriminated against.