The Importance Of Net Neutrality

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In modern day society, the internet has become the main source of information, communication, and entertainment across the world. It has revolutionized everything from the world economy, to global elections, to everyday life. People can buy or sell nearly anything on the internet, our President can communicate with millions in a few seconds, and the list of how the internet has affected our daily lives is endless. However, right now the internet as we know it is in danger. The Federal Communications Commission, the independent agency created to regulate communications by television, wire, satellite, and cable, is actively working to remove previous “net neutrality” laws (Missing, 1). These laws protect internet users, and without them Internet …show more content…

Net neutrality is the idea that people should be provided with open networks, and given the right to communicate freely online. Just as phone companies shouldn’t decide who their clients can call, an Internet Service Provider (ISP) shouldn’t interfere with the content their client views or posts online. As the internet became a modern utility, laws became necessary to regulate service providers, and determine what they can and cannot do. The net neutrality rules were passed in 2015 by the Obama administration, when the democrats had control in the FCC. The goal of these laws was to acknowledge the critical role a high-speed internet connection plays in today’s society, and ensure that Internet Service Providers pass along all bits of information at an equal rate (Lohr, 1). They also prevent ISP’s from charging customers extra fees for premium services, such as high-quality streaming (Kang, 1). However, these laws may not be around much …show more content…

Google, Netflix, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are only a few of these companies, and each of them started off much smaller than they are today. With the end of net neutrality, increased prices are inevitable, and either the consumer or the business will be paying for it. These internet giants won’t be affected nearly as much as small businesses and entrepreneurs. Most small businesses and entrepreneurs rely just as heavily on internet to grow their businesses as the internet giants, but they do not have the capitol to influence ISP’s. Those low on cash would be regulated to slower service, which would mean the end for many startups and small businesses who simply can’t compete without a fast internet connection (Hsu, 1). If businesses can’t pay the price it will fall on the consumer, which will also hurt their ability to grow and increase their share of the market. The next big idea for a company won’t be able to get off the ground, while the internet giants will only become

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