NET NEUTRALITY

WHAT IS NET NEUTRALITY?

“the idea, principle, or requirement that Internet service providers should or must treat all Internet data as the same regardless of its kind, source, or destination”

Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary.

Net Neutrality is the freedom to have access to any website, or any other service the internet provides, no matter what that service is. Anyone can look at anything. An internet provider is not allowed to discriminate or charge extra for any specific site, app, or platform based on the user or content they are looking at. The internet runs at the same speed for every site, and it allows the user to be in control of what they are accessing. It’s what people expect to be able to have when using the internet.

Right now, Net Neutrality is being threatened by the FCC, or the Federal Communications Commission. On Thursday, December 14, 2017, the FCC voted to repeal the rules regulating the businesses that connect consumers to the internet. This gives them the opportunity to dramatically change the way Americans experience the internet. They can charge for different websites, faster and better Wifi, and can block a user entirely from seeing certain things.

WHAT CAN THEY BLOCK?

Companies like AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast can block websites and applications, and they can decide which ones succeed. They can prevent access to websites sponsored by or containing content that has to do with their competitors. They would also be able to prevent any access to content that has to do with political or personal views they disagree with. This will put many people at a serious disadvantage, like people of color, LGBTQ+ communities, religious minorities, and any other disenfranchised group in the US. People rely on Net Neutrality, and use it for communication and organization.

People use the (free) internet to:

Organize protests

Find allies for minorities

Gather support for a disadvantaged group

Fight back against discrimination

Tell stories about mistreatment

Get new applications and websites started and off the ground

Share businesses, ideas, and compete with online corporations

HOW WILL THIS AFFECT US?

Without Net Neutrality, none of the above could happen. Minority groups, like people of color, would continue to be affected by the systematic racism and inequality that has caused economic and social prejudice, and the misrepresentation of the media. Groups like Black Lives Matter could be prevented from sharing information, and people everywhere would only see what those providers want them to see.

That in and of itself is dangerous. That control, that possible manipulation, is a true concern and fear for the people of the United States of America. Only being shown what others want you to see is a very acute form of brainwashing, and it can turn into a literal sense of the word. Had Net Neutrality been non-existent when the Harvey Weinstein scandal was brought to the public eye, it could have stayed hidden. Nobody would step forward and expose corruption, abuse, or false facts, and if they ever did there would be a very low chance of anyone ever seeing it. They would be shutdown before anybody ever saw. This could stop political and equality movements, education, and communication.

On a more basic level, actions like writing a paper, doing research on a procedure or illness, and even something as mundane as looking up a word could become impossible. Not everyone can afford extra charges, and this makes people wary. What happens when a student is assigned a research topic and needs at least five sources? If that student clicks on a controversial link, one their specific provider disagrees with, they could be charged. If they do that twice, it’s double, and so on. That’s not an option for most people. This lack of access makes an uneducated population a worrying possibility.

Overall, Net Neutrality is not something many people, especially young people, have thought about. I’ve never known a world without the internet, let alone restricted content. This is a pressing issue, and has been brought to the public’s attention very recently. Only in the week before the decision did people begin sharing numbers to call and text in big numbers, and it didn’t happen soon enough. This is why ample opportunities for communication are important.

#netneutrality #internet #freedom