By now, we've all heard the news. The FCC has voted to repeal Net Neutrality which was put in place to grant equality over all internet sites and services. This served as a way to let everyone use the internet freely, without having to pay large sums of money for certain websites or video streaming or even a fast connection.
While there is still a ways to go before the rules take effect, the FCC has to prove in court that their argument is valid. In short, they used the case of investments declining because of net neutrality as evidence towards the vote.
What they didn't mention, and what they chose to ignore, is that new neutrality had no effect on their investments. Where the FCC got that information twisted for their own use is beyond me, but we can see how it served in their favor.
To put it simply, without net neutrality, internet service providers can now control how much they can charge their customers for certain sites, including Facebook, Netflix, and YouTube. The popular ones that stream videos will go into a competition and they may develop a slower connection if you can't afford their price. Additionally, these providers can also block certain sites that won't benefit them from your service entirely.
Tell me how that benefits anyone?
Well, it benefits these large companies who can begin charging more for their services and the providers who have total control over what you have access to. The only ones who can afford this change are those with deep pockets, sadly. What happens to the rest of us? We'll be faced with slower connections and very limited use of the internet services we have gotten accustomed to using on a daily basis, as well as an increase in our monthly bill should we need what was taken away from us.
I have to ask the question of what good will come of this repeal but then I remember who appointed Ajit Pai as Chairman of the FCC and which house has control of Congress. They aren't for the people, let's be honest. They put the smaller businesses in danger, as they did for entrepreneurs who now won't be able to afford the massive tolls put on by the internet providers should they want to create a business online or be the next Facebook or Netflix.
How does this affect millennials?
Well, we are the future, right? And how do we imagine our future will go if the one thing that's made our generation distinctly different from the rest is taken away from us? As entrepreneurs, as self-starters, as dreamers, we might not get to do any of that if the repeal wins in court. Our futures are basically at stake and people aren't talking about it enough.
What can you do?
Talk about it. Share information. Investigate and find out what's going on. Get involved in your local district and write letters, call your representatives office, campaign and spread the awareness. We need as many people fighting back on this repeal as possible. We need to make them listen to us because they are messing with our future and with our dreams. Are you going to let them get away with that?