by David Kent & Jeremy Reyes|staff writers
Net Neutrality is the principle that all information online is free to use for everyone. It’s where internet service providers (ISPs), such as Comcast, Verizon and At&T, don’t discriminate and give all consumers equal access to the world-wide web. Sadly, the FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, is pushing for the removal of Net Neutrality. Taking away net neutrality is a huge violation against the constitution, specifically freedom of speech. The vote to repeal net neutrality will be held on December 14.
Without Net Neutrality, cable companies and internet service providers will be able to charge you for accessing certain websites, such as youtube and google. Certain services, such as entertainment and social media, will be locked behind ‘paywalls.’ Consumers, like you and me, would have to pay monthly to use the basic services that have always been free.
Hypothetically, large corporations will control the internet and what we as consumers will see. They will be able to speed up the bandwidth of sites that they agree with or that share the same views as them, or just sites that they own. They will then be able to slow down the bandwidth of their competitors, effectively ‘forcing’ people to subscribe to their services to get the increased bandwidth speed.
With this, companies can hypothetically control what we see and hear on the internet. They will be able to ‘force’ their views upon consumers, making people see from their point of view primarily. This well effectively control the information we process and take in each day. It will basically be a control of information on the internet.
To have your voice heard, contact your state senator and ask them to support net neutrality. Try signing petitions online, at least one of them will be able to get through.
Keep in mind we won this battle back in 2014, we can win this uphill battle to save net neutrality. We will do it united as a country, no matter our differences, sometimes those we disagree with will have to come together, we need to make a stand to save net neutrality.
