Officially, on June 11, 2018 Net Neutrality regulations were removed. In recent months, the issue of Net Neutrality repeal created traction within media discourse and the potential effects consumers, the FCC, and stakeholders such as telecom companies could face. Before I had to create a public policy and business proposal for my Media and Public Policy class, I had absolutely no idea what the buzzing topic of "Net Neutrality" was or how it was relevant to me. But after conducting hours of research (insert crying emoji) and watching some informative YouTube videos, my understanding the potential issues that the removal of Net Neutrality could posses for lack of better words had me "shook".
I don't endorse Burger King in any fashion but they've really outdone themselves with their interpretation of what could happen with the removal of Net Neutrality. Take a look!
The internet is one of the most powerful innovations since its inception. The ability to connect to others globally, pay bills, conduct research, online shop, stream movies, send and receive messages through social media are some of the many activities that can be completed using the web. The integration of the internet within the scope of communications and other disciplines has, and continues to impact consumers.
"Network neutrality" or "net neutrality" is often used as a broad label in public policy and regulatory discussions concerning these issues" (Internet Society, 2015). The media plays a major and important factor in the public's opinion and other discourse of its influence on politics and policymaking. One theory within mass communications is that the media is supposed to represent itself as the third estate; offering and exposing the truth to media consumers. But, with this removal, the internet we all know and love today may not be accessible to the same degree to everyone.
With the repeal of net neutrality, there are issues of media conglomerates (ISPs) monopolizing on the fact they know how the ability to charge certain premiums for faster broadband service. Basically, large media conglomerates could create tiered systems of internet service as represented in the video with the "Whooper MBPS" levels.
By making the transition to regulated service packages customers would either have to decide whether they want broadband speed to be broken down into tiers and if they want to pay for a certain ISP prioritizing their (subsidiaries included) content over others. This repeal could create a caste system and be discriminatory due to the consumers economic standing.
I don't know about y'all but I refuse to see the internet become more of a cash-crop like everything else involved in capitalism. The internet made the age of information and innovation. Without neutrality regulations, the "freedom" that we all know to be could disappear. What about the small startup companies? The internet has given so many entrepreneurs the ability to sell their products online. Would they have to pay a higher rate for their internet package because of the data speed they need? Unfortunately, there are so many more questions we don't have answers to and we're about to receive a rude awakening.
