Pros And Cons Of Net Neutrality

What is net neutrality? According to the Merriam Dictionary, Net Neutrality is “the idea, principle, or requirement that Internet service providers should or must treat all Internet data as the same regardless of its kind, source, or destination”. This explanation indicates how the Internet service providers, ISPs, are unable to block or favor any websites or companies. In 2003, Professor Tim Wu constructed the idea of Net Neutrality. Up until 2005, Internet service providers were considered common carriers. In 2005, the supreme court deemed interest as an informational service which no longer held the Federal Communications Commission, FCC, in charge of regulating it. In 2010, “the FCC passes an Open Internet Order which called for Internet Service Providers, ISPs, to treat Internet traffic equally. The order calls for ISPs to[ one,] be transparent about how they handle network congestion, [two,] prohibit
blocking of traffic on wired networks, and [three,] outlaw unreasonable discrimination on those networks” (Chan). Net Neutrality was officially established and enforced in 2015. There has been a huge debate over whether or not Net Neutrality should be repealed or not. However, Net Neutrality should not be repealed because it invades on individual American rights. The repeal of net neutrality would no longer hold the Internet Service Providers responsible for ensuring that all services provide the same speed and they would have the ability to block or slow down data. In this case, Internet Service Providers are prompted to create a fast lane that only accommodates for rich companies who can afford to pay more money for more data and speed. This would knock down any competition against large companies as well as making it almost impossible for small or start-up companies to stay competitive. Servers like Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon support the repeal because they do not appreciate that they should be held responsible for the payment of ensuring large data sets are transferred to the consumer taking the same time. The rise in price for companies to stay would most likely affect the consumers due to the companies trying to gain what they have lost. This reflects through the prices for internet and application speeds. This could mean that on top of the Netflix plan bill there could be an additional charge based on the selected stream speed and video quality. Think about it in terms of a road consisting of cars.
The freeway represents the Internet service providers, while the cars represent websites, companies, and applications. With net neutrality, all the cars move at the same speed to the same destination. If net neutrality is repealed, then the freeway is able to add a fast, moderate, and a slow lane. The fast lane would be similar to the HOV or carpool lane, but instead of the number of people are in the car, eligibility to use the lane would be based on the amount of money the company has and is willing to spend. The wealthy companies who are willing to spend money in order to use the fast lane will be enabled to deliver their product faster than any other site in the other lanes. The slow lane would consist of small or starter up websites who cannot afford much, making the moderate lane to consist of companies who can afford to not be in the slow lane but cannot afford to be in the fast lane. If companies are unable to pay the fees to be on the freeway, then they will be the cars pulled
over. Freeways are also able to prevent cars from accessing and using it. This means that the Internet service providers can individually decide whether or not they want to allow certain websites or not. Internet service providers could block speech and prevent dissident voices from speaking freely online. Not only does this impede on American rights, but it also creates censorship. The internet service providers have the option to not publish information as well as take bribes to not publish any articles. If the ISP does not agree with the LGBTQ community, then they have the right to censor their websites. Without Net Neutrality, people of a minority such as color and religion could also lose a vital platform. In late 2012 when net neutrality was not established, AT&T announced that they would block FaceTime on its customers’ iPhones unless they subscribed to a more expensive text-and-voice plan. The company received an enormous backlash and public pressure to comply and set FaceTime back up for everyone’s usage. Free Press threatened to file a complaint at the Federal Communications Commission as well as there being angry boycotting consumers. Slowly, AT&T started to cave into defeat and in early 2013, they announced that they would allow more customers to use FaceTime over its network. AT&T was still blocking FaceTime for customers who had certain data plans. AT&T’s job is not to tell the customers how to use their purchased data. The repeal of net neutrality gives the carriers freedom to add and remove as they choose.
Another example of what the lack of net neutrality can do is the Netflix and Comcast dispute. Due to Netflix streaming large data, Comcast began to slow down Netflix’s stream performance for Comcast customers. Netflix's Internet Service Providers speed index showed how Netflix’s stream speeds on Comcast's network have fallen by roughly a third. The difference in Netflix’s streaming speeds and HD content was extremely prevalent for the users.
Streaming high-definition video to millions of homes every day means moving a ton of data around. Since 2012, Netflix has let the Internet service provider's video improve stream quality by connecting directly to their Open Connect network.
Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Verizon, and AT&T have all refused to hook their data centers up to Netflix's servers without payment from the video streaming service. Their reasoning is that when they move data for content networks, they get paid for delivering that content to end users. Netflix is doing the same thing, so they should pay up too. Therefore, in order to get their streaming product through Comcast comparable with other Internet Service Providers, Netflix had to pay Comcast in a settlement, shooting their streaming speed back to normal.
One must reflect on the specifics of net neutrality. Without Net Neutrality, how will activists be able to fight oppression? What will happen to social movements like the Movement for Black Lives? How will the next disruptive technology, business or company emerge if internet service providers let only incumbents succeed?
Mignon Clyburn, the only black voice on the five-member commission, and a champion for digital civil rights said, “Net neutrality is the First Amendment to the internet” how net neutrality helps advance social justice movements, and outlined the importance of an open internet for communities of color.
An open internet protected by Title II net neutrality is what enabled #BlackLivesMatter to emerge, not as hashtag activism but as the amplified black demand for police accountability and greater democracy. #MeToo also went viral, not as a simple declaration of past injury but as a powerful demand resulting in a wave of accountability from those who abuse their power through sexual harassment and assault. In the spirit of those who used the internet to demand the ecological and human rights of indigenous communities at Standing Rock in North and South Dakota, immigrant voices are right now using the open internet to demand a clean #DreamActNow, while Muslim digital voices are demanding #NoMuslimBan.
The open internet uplifts the voices of people of color and racial-justice advocates, activists and dissenters of all stripes, as well as independent content creators, journalists, and entrepreneurs. That’s why these constituencies have joined together, alongside millions of individual internet users, to demand that the FCC leave the 2015 rules in place.
Free and open internet