Today is a very important day for the open and free Internet as we know it. Today is where people around the world take a stand against The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to destroy net neutrality.
What is net neutrality?
Net neutrality is the principle that Internet providers like Comcast & Verizon should not control what we see and do online. In 2015, startups, Internet freedom groups, and 3.7 million commenters won strong net neutrality rules from the US Federal Communication Commission (FCC). The rules prohibit Internet providers from blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization—”fast lanes” for sites that pay, and slow lanes for everyone else.
Source: battleforthenet.com
To add my own words to this: The fact that fighting for an open and free Internet is even necessary is simply beyond disgusting. That giant corporations even consider limiting information and free speech in the name of profit is not only revolting, but incredibly concerning.
Even if the battle for Net Neutrality is won, what would these companies think of next? Let’s not forget, this isn’t the first time Net Neutrality is threatened to be killed off and this pathetic attempt sure as hell isn’t likely to be the last. It’s frightening to imagine a world, where access to the Internet depended on how much you paid your ISP. Even then, there’s no guarantee that your Internet connection to certain sites aren’t going to be throttled or censored.
It should go without saying, this isn’t just harmful towards free speech, but democracy itself.