The Basic Idea:
The internet, these days, has become just as open with opportunities as the real world. If you have a product, you can advertise it, if you have an opinion, you can make it known to others. However, just as the internet can be so open, the internet is just as secretive. Who really controls the internet? Can it be shut off? Which individual has the most power to affect the internet?
Right now, these questions are very hard to answer, however, we know that above all else, the internet is equal, that is does not discriminate. Every race, class and age has a right to access the internet and right now, it cannot be taken away.
This is where Net Neutrality comes in. Net Neutrality advocates for the freedom of access to all users on the internet, just as the first amendment protected freedom of speech. However, since Net Neutrality is relatively new, the fundamental laws protecting the users of the internet have not yet been faced. This could change following the proposed idea of not having Net Neutrality.
But why would that affect me, you ask? Well imagine the internet where companies like Microsoft and Apple load many times faster than mom-and-pop internet stores or third-party developers. Where you pay a basic fee to have access to Google and Hotmail, but you cannot access Netflix, Facebook, or Hulu without paying a premium price.
History has taught us that Neutrality is a gigantic issue in all forms of our media. We can see how conglomerates such as ABC, NBC, and FOX all supply their own airtime with subjects that either generates interest or profits, and how their programming will usually go along their particular political agenda. Little do people know that before the 1990’s, networks could not own their own programming which, arguably, created a television program that centered on quality and interest of the viewers. Nowadays, it is nigh impossible for independent producers to get airtime without the respective networks a part of their program.
The case for Net Neutrality is as fundamental as the case for Free Speech. Imagine without Net Neutrality, Super-Corporations will be able to control the flow of information available to different races, ages and class. No longer will the poor be able to access the same information as the rich and telecommunications such as Comcast, Verizon etc. will have the same power and influence as ABC, NBC, and FOX.
The internet was developed to benefit public interests, to allow unrestricted access so that users may pick and choose the content they want to see. If Net Neutrality is lost, we lose an important engine of connection and innovation. Even though this issue is a very gray area in terms of law, losing Net Neutrality would be like losing the first amendment.
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