Imagine opening your laptop one day, attempting to log into your social media accounts, and being stopped. Your wireless internet connection is fine; Your computer is fully charged, but you are unable to log on without paying a fee. This could become a reality if net neutrality is taken away.
Net neutrality has been around since the early 2000's, but the term was officially coined in 2015 when activists fought for the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to enforce guidelines to keep the internet free and reachable. Net neutrality creates an accessible internet for all users, restricts internet service providers from limiting or charging for admission to certain websites, and ensures that internet users have access to a variety of information regardless of the source. Internet service providers, such as AT&T, Comcast, or Verizon, are also kept from speeding up, slowing down, or blocking content for users to enjoy.
Recently, the FCC chairman and former Verizon Lawyer, Ajit Pai, proposed that net neutrality should be eliminated. Pai's proposal takes the internet control away from the federal government, and gives the power to telecom companies. Many big companies and internet service providers are supportive of Pai's proposal, primarily because of the benefits they will receive from becoming regulators of the internet.
An internet without net neutrality would mean redefining the way we think of the internet as we currently know it. Internet service providers would control all of the content on the web; There would be slow sites, inaccessible pages, and content that must be paid for in order to use it. This means that these providers would effectively control all of the content on the web and would consequently control the information the public receives.
Ending net neutrality means that internet service providers and telecom companies would benefit the most. Citizens however, especially those without resources to pay additional sums for information access, lose. Minorities also suffer from the ending of net neutrality. Since internet service providers control the information available, different religious groups and ethnic groups may not receive equal representation from the internet. Additionally, because the providers control what content is allowed on the web, blogs, small businesses, and other citizen run web domains would be nearly impossible for citizens.
Ending net neutrality means ending a free and open internet and information. Not only do costs go up, access goes down, and information becomes increasingly biased and controlled. Net neutrality is a necessity in the future of the internet as we know it.
