In light of recent attacks on democracy in the realms of healthcare, immigration and tax reform, there is another urgent issue that needs our attention: net neutrality.
I know you probably just fell asleep or are deciding to stop reading this but please don’t. Net neutrality is an incredibly important concept that shapes how we access and use the internet today in America. Without net neutrality, our lives — not just the internet — will change drastically, and this is not even remotely an exaggeration.
So, what is net neutrality? While “neutrality” isn’t the sexiest word, it refers to treating data and information on the internet neutrally — without biases, without politics, without a paywall.
Ajit Pai is the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Let him know how you feel when it comes to getting rid of net neutrality.
Wikimedia Commons
Currently, the average person in America pays a monthly fee to an internet service provider (ISP) such as Spectrum or AT&T for access to the internet on our devices. We can access anything we like — from Facebook to Netflix to Reddit to that obscure website where you can listen to Darth Vader scream “Nooooo!” repeatedly. Regardless of the content, we get equal and unlimited access to all these websites and services at the general speed we pay for.
Without net neutrality, we would no longer be able to do that. Instead, we would be met by a paywall asking us to pay for extra access to our favorite websites. Websites and services online would be organized into different pay packages similarly to how cable TV offers bundled channels packages.
Want to be on social media? You’d have to pay an extra fee to access Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Want to watch the latest movies and TV shows on Netflix and Hulu?
Not only would you have to pay a subscription fee to those services, you also have to pay your ISP for extra speed on top of your internet package, so you can stream content at a reasonable frustration-free speed. Want to do a Google search on a whim to find that crockpot recipe? Well, you can’t. Don’t even get me started on YouTube.
As a consumer, you’re going to have to choose what you need to access the most, and pay a premium extra for those services on top of everything else you already have to pay for.
Essentially, the relationships on the internet would be organized by the ISPs, who will become the gatekeeper of access to information and services between companies and consumers. ISPs will have the legal power to control the rates at which specific content are transmitted.
The author worries that the days of a free and open internet are numbered.
Flickr: Blaise Alleyne
The internet will turn into a marketplace for ISPs, where they can decide how much they would like to charge businesses and consumers who want to use the internet.
On one side, websites will have to pay ISPs so that consumers can access their services without any throttling (also known as paid prioritization). Without net neutrality, websites backed by companies with the most money, such as Google and Microsoft, will be able to do just that, while smaller start-ups will suffer because they can’t afford it.
It’s a world where the underdogs are squashed before they can rise. On the other side, the consumers…well, I already painted a nice picture above.
In a world without net neutrality, therefore, both websites and consumers have to pay more. You know who wins? The ISPs, such as Spectrum and AT&T. They’ll get money from both sides of the internet and will have the most power in dictating who gets access and who doesn’t.
An Internet Without Freedom
There will be no way to ensure neutral or unbiased treatment of information. You can imagine the implications for this — a restricted, closed internet, an internet without freedom or democracy, a censored internet. Independent news sources, such as Honolulu Civil Beat, could be censored and throttled to prevent the voices of citizens from being heard.
There are already countries in this world that do not have net neutrality, such as New Zealand. In New Zealand, Vodafone, a telecommunications company and ISP, has created different kinds of pay packages for consumers who want unlimited access to certain services.
Do you want a world where Comcast and Verizon tell you what you can access and what you can’t?
There is the Social Pass for those who want to access major social media websites “without data worries.” Pay $2 a day, $5 for 7 days, or $10 for 28 days. The Chat Pass option allows consumers to use Facebook Messenger or Viber “without data worries” for $1 a day or $5 for 28 days. The list goes on for music passes, video passes, etc.
Do you want a world where Comcast and Verizon tell you what you can access and what you can’t? Do you want an internet where information is censored, and services are throttled? Do you want a paywall between you and every aspect of the internet?
If you’re answer is no, rise up. On Dec. 14, the Federal Communications Commission will be voting to repeal net neutrality. Make your voice heard today by reaching out to your representatives or going to https://www.battleforthenet.com/ to learn more.
Tell the FCC, and particularly its chief Ajit Pai (who used to work for Verizon!), that you want a free and open internet, and urge your representatives to protect net neutrality.
By saving net neutrality, you will not only save the internet but ensure the freedom of information, and the freedom to access Darth Vader’s screams.
The post Why We Really Should Care About Net Neutrality appeared first on Honolulu Civil Beat.