How Google and Facebook Could Save Net Neutrality
If government can’t guarantee web traffic gets equal treatment, maybe the private sector can.
By Kara Alaimo
Next week, five members of a regulatory committee will make a decision about one of the biggest threats to democratic discourse Americans have faced in our lifetimes — and it isn’t looking good. On Dec. 14, the Federal Communications Commission will vote on a proposal to end net neutrality. This means that internet service providers would be able to block, slow down or charge customers extra to access certain websites. The three Republicans on the committee, who typically vote as a bloc, are widely expected to enact the plan. But it isn’t too late for corporations to protect us.
The possible implications of the end of net neutrality are harrowing. Imagine, for example, an internet service provider charging extra for access to mainstream news sites. That could leave Americans who can’t afford premium service to get their information from purveyors of fake news. Or, picture an internet service provider that supports a particular agenda — AT&T, Comcast and Verizon have aggressively lobbied the Trump administration to end net neutrality, for example — slowing down access to websites of political candidates who don’t support their positions.
