Why is net neutrality important? Simply put, net neutrality is a policy that creates an even playing field for internet service providers (ISPs), thus benefiting consumers and allowing for freer communications online. It prohibits providers from jockeying for influence and dominance through the use of blocking or slowing down data transmission. Net neutrality keeps the internet 'open' and not subject to corporate interests to push their data over another company. Imagine bingeing on your favorite show on Netflix, then suddenly it's slowed down or even stops, not loading, or taking a long time to load. Without net neutrality this could mean that Comcast or another ISP is slowing it down in favor of their own data services. But it's not just about what you want to watch on Netflix, it's about the internet in general and how we get news, how we communicate online, and how we organize ourselves. The Federal Communications Commission has oversight of this, and is trying to overturn the 2015 Open Internet Order which established net neutrality in the U.S. This could lead to censorship by one ISP over another and require us to pay even more for internet service.
We've been here before. Media history teaches us that the Telecommunications Act of 1996 opened the floodgates for massive deregulation of media services in the U.S. and the corporate dominance over media; at the time, the Chairman of the FCC was Michael Powell, a Republican appointee, just like Ajit Pai, the current Chairman of the FCC. When one corporation can own basically all the newspapers in any market in the U.S., or the television stations or radio stations, it means that not only do we get watered-down, homogeneous news typical from one market to another, and less local news that directly impacts residents, it also means that there are fewer voices of women and minorities who represent those media as media owners, and less journalism around local events that impact civil society and the daily lives of people. Opposition to net neutrality and the support for a 'closed internet' is further evidence of the interests of corporations over people and any achievement of overturning the 2015 Open Internet Order will represent the triumph of deregulatory interests of the corporate world. It will contribute to the censoring and silencing of people's voices and deny our need for open communications systems.
Want to support Net Neutrality?
Contact your member of Congress now.
We've been here before. Media history teaches us that the Telecommunications Act of 1996 opened the floodgates for massive deregulation of media services in the U.S. and the corporate dominance over media; at the time, the Chairman of the FCC was Michael Powell, a Republican appointee, just like Ajit Pai, the current Chairman of the FCC. When one corporation can own basically all the newspapers in any market in the U.S., or the television stations or radio stations, it means that not only do we get watered-down, homogeneous news typical from one market to another, and less local news that directly impacts residents, it also means that there are fewer voices of women and minorities who represent those media as media owners, and less journalism around local events that impact civil society and the daily lives of people. Opposition to net neutrality and the support for a 'closed internet' is further evidence of the interests of corporations over people and any achievement of overturning the 2015 Open Internet Order will represent the triumph of deregulatory interests of the corporate world. It will contribute to the censoring and silencing of people's voices and deny our need for open communications systems.
Want to support Net Neutrality?
Contact your member of Congress now.