Thoughts on Net-Neutrality: Wish We Looked Into It Sooner
Net Neutrality.
It’s a hot topic on the net & in the news right now. Yesterday, the FCC voted to repeal an Obama-era net neutrality protections that ultimately affect how consumers pay for & access the internet. Many consumers are up in arms about the decision by Congress — and for good reason. The repeal gives internet providers far more control over the content consumers can view & even the speed & quality with which they are viewed.
Defining The Term
There is no Merriam-Webster style definition of net-neutrality. At its base, net-neutrality is under the umbrella of an economic regulatory practice whose origins date back to the days of industrialization in its infancy & the railroad giants that helped spur the revolution. Though internet and the railroad service starkly contrast in some ways, they share a commonality in that they both delivered a unique & fundamentally innovative product to the masses.
In those times, many railroad providers operated in monopolistic ways as there was usually only one railroad line for one area (at least at its onset). In some cases, these monopolies tried to take advantage of their customers by charging based off value of the person being serviced, rather than charging for the service itself.
It’s very similar to the village mortician charging customers for the person they bury, as opposed to the cost of the burial itself — which is relatively stable. Say the mayor passes and the village has to bury him — well the mortician may as well take office because he’ll be the richest & most clever man in the village! In other words, Common Carrier regulation prohibited companies from Price By Value as opposed to price based off a standard unit or metric.
The Wall Street Journal put out a nice 2 minute video back in 2015 around the time President Obama was fighting to get the protections and did an excellent job of explaining the concept in a clear and concise manner.
What This Means To You
In the same way the mortician shouldn’t be allowed to price gauge based on the person being serviced, so too should the internet remain a place where all CONTENT is created (and is viewed) equally. With the end of net-neutrality, service providers now have the ability to block, charge for, and or slow down content of their choosing. Meaning, if the content you view isn’t in the best interest of the service provider you are with, you could be in for a rude awakening come this time next year.
The onus is now on these internet providers and telecom industry to keep their patrons in mind, realize their uniquely advantageous position in this deregulated system – and figure out how to make sure they’re being fair in their decisions to affect the experience of users everywhere.
At the same time, net-neutrality is a government order. And as we all know, any law change or order in that institution takes some time before its effects are felt. Tech Crunch reports that it will take at least a few months before the order is even put in the federal register – so even with the repeal, we still have time to voice our concerns and brace for impact.
What We Can Do!
The law has been repealed, but there are things we can do to continue the fight!
1. Engage With Your Elected Officials
Just because the vote has passed doesn’t mean our voices are lost – they matter now more than EVER! BattleForTheNet.com put out this link to help us contact members of Congress & get them to pass a “Resolution Of Disapproval” which can overturn the FCC vote! Take action and do your part because every voice matters from here on in.
2. Continue The Conversation
Now that the vote has passed, it is our job as digital citizens to keep the conversation going. Creating content around the ruling, educating people on the implications, and mobilizing these individuals is only going to help push the conversation forward & keep the pressure on our lawmakers!
3. If You See Something, Say Something!
Now that net-neutrality is a thing of the past, we need to be more congizant of our web experience.
Harold Feld of the advocacy group Public Knowledge recommends that people concerned with net neutrality keep a watchful eye on internet providers and file complaints about prioritizing or throttling with the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice. (Via Wired.com)
Net neutrality was an Obama-era problem. It scares me that it took us until the eve of the Congressional vote to wake up as a society. That ambivalence is the same way Trump got a spot in office to begin with. “Active citizenship” is a philosophy that maintains citizens have certain roles and responsibilities to society and the environment. According to Open Society Foundations, it means getting involved in your local community and democracy at all levels, from towns to cities to nationwide activity. The only we as Americans can recover from things like net-neutrality, or even Trump’s presidency is by continuing to voice our opinions and observations, realizing our voices & more importantly our actions matter, and taking a hand in active citizenship when it comes to our country.
Ultimately, our future is (still) very much in our hands. It’s up to us as internet users & digital citizens to control our OWN destinies, speak out against injustices, and put pressure on our lawmakers to amend this situation.
Our digital livelihood depends on it.
News Around Net-Neutrality
The members of Congress who voted for the repeal (via TheVerge.com)
A Timline of The FCC’s quest to destroy #NetNeutrality (via TechCrunch Onion )
Rick Boucher, former 9th District Congressman, suggests that:
“… it is time for Congress to step into this morass and establish clear neutrality rules. Each subscriber can reach any content they choose without interference from the provider. And declare broadband as a Title l information service so it would not be regulated so heavily as under that common carrier status. (Via TimesNews.net)
“Net Neutrality Is Over, Now What? (Via Slate.com)
