In America, we pride ourselves in the fact that political discourse is encouraged and our voices are something worth being heard. For the vast majority of America, this is via social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. But what if that voice was taken away? Or rather, what if you had to pay to have your voice heard?
People of affluence such as public office holders and lobbyists have the opportunity for their voices to be heard through platforms such as their position, their money, or their support.
This means that if you aren’t rich, aren’t in a political office, or don’t have influence over a large body, your voice is heard through free mediums.
Repealing net neutrality essentially takes this voice away. By requiring monetary compensation for posting opinions and political discourse, you are excluding people with low income and young people. This is a major democratic setback. Freedom of speech is important, and by limiting who can access these, the FCC is limiting the freedom of speech.
The FCC posted a video saying that of our view rights, you would still have the ability to “Instagram your food”, and “shop for your presents for Christmas”. That’s not the point. It’s not simply an inconvenience to our millennialism. It’s a threat to our political freedom.
The FCC is allowing our discourse to be stifled and therefore our protest to be silenced. Protests are organized via social media. News media is spread live on social media. The truth comes out and spreads, and since the American people have taken advantage of this in 2017.
The FCC is taking this opportunity to punish us. Access to information and resources is a right, not a financial privilege. By repealing the regulations that make the internet accessible and free, the FCC is allowing for freedom of information to be a monetary privilege.
However, hope is not completely lost.
Congress can vote to review this decision and strike it down, which is why contacting your Congress reps is so important. Also, with the outcry of millions of Americans this week, perhaps we will see sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Google choose to continue providing a free and open market for these platforms. In the same way that many universities continue to uphold Title IX regulations regardless of Betsy DeVos's repeal, perhaps sites that are used by predominantly young and lower/ middle-class Americans.
Resist. Let’s stand up and fight the good fight. If they make us do it their way, then we’ll do it because we are Americans who demand the Constitution be upheld.
