Net neutrality is once again a hot topic in the mainstream media and internet forums thanks to the recent decision made by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to end the enforcement of net neutrality. The decision is ultimately disliked by the majority of internet users and the demand for Net Neutrality is even crossing party lines in America’s divided political culture.
Many fear that our free and unregulated internet will come under attack by the large telecommunications monopolies that control the majority of the country’s internet users. On the other hand, some fear that handing over control to the FCC is a dangerous precedent since they are known to be harsh with their regulation with other information mediums. As an individual, you can secure your data by using an overseas VPN network, like those offered by ExpressVPN, in order to circumvent Orwellian control over your internet usage (for more information about that, click here).
Controlling ISP Monopolies
AT&T was the first example of a telecommunications monopoly and they had a hold of the nation’s infrastructure during the 1980s. Lawsuits had to force AT&T to dissolve their assets after anti-trust lawsuits but they later went on into the computer market as a result of it. There were more telecommunications providers (although mostly voice calls) so that the entire Internet would not have been entirely owned by AT&T in the future.
With the new Telecommunications Act of 1996, the barriers for new companies to enter the ISP market were taken down to increase local competition. When Bill Clinton had signed the bill into law, it was one of the factors that had pushed the Dotcom industry into the giant that it was.
Later, the Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers and the Competing for Local Exchange Carriers were established. These organizations had set the standard as to what an ISP is and there were over 15,000 ISP companies created across the United States by the early 2000s. During this time, there was a great deal of choice for the American consumer to purchase an internet connection.
Things Changed After The Burst of the DotCom Bubble
By 2010, the majority of service providers in America had consolidated into a small group of large corporate moguls. Fears of service providers giving favoritism over certain types of traffic and charging extra to use certain websites have constantly been valid since then. This is where the idea of Net Neutrality has spawned.
With Net Neutrality rules in place by the government, traffic will be treated equally and ISP’s will not be allowed to cut off or slow down access to certain services. It has been successfully legislated in other countries around the world but it now remains in limbo in the United States. ‹
Are there benefits for allowing service providers to control traffic?
In theory, there are some beneficial applications of allowing ISP’s to shape and block certain traffic. For example, Internet piracy can be thwarted if service providers were allowed to completely block torrent traffic. Throttling video streaming can be beneficial in areas that are prone to be overloaded at certain times of the day. Of course, the implications that these practices have on free speech outweigh the benefits.
Most Americans Want Net Neutrality!
ExpressVPN had conducted a survey and found out that over 75 percent of Americans actually want net neutrality. This goes against the current administration’s assumption that Net Neutrality laws are unnecessary and potentially harmful.
What can be done to reinstate Net Neutrality?
It doesn’t matter if you are a Democrat or Republican; Net Neutrality is essential if we wish to keep our free and open internet. Multiple initiatives have come forward to battle Ajit Pai’s decision, including the Global Net Neutrality Coalition, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Battle for the Net.
Mashable had released some thorough instructions on how Americans can contact their local representatives to let them know that we do not approve of the removal of Net Neutrality rules.
The pressure is on the federal government to turn back this devastating decision and it is only a matter of time before they will give in. In the meantime, potential censorship by your local service provider may be circumvented by an overseas VPN service.
