What is Net Neutrality and Why Should You Care?

Imagine attempting to access a website you’ve visited numerous times before and finding it blocked

as if someone had installed a firewall within your computer or phone without your knowledge.  You then call your internet service provider (probably AT&T, Verizon or Comcast) and inquire as to why that particular site is blocked and they simply reply, “Because we can.” and then they hang up.  That is the nightmare scenario foreseen by those who fully support a concept called “net neutrality,” a term coined by media law professor at Columbia University, Tim Wu, in 2003.

So, what the heck is net neutrality and why does matter?  It simply means that internet service providers (ISP) should treat ALL data on the internet the same or with complete neutrality.  It means the ISPs should not discriminate or charge differently based on content, user, website, platform, application or method of communication.  In other words, the fear is that ISPs, like AT&T, Verizon or Comcast, could, without fear of repercussion, block or slow down access to specific content or websites that they do not like for various reasons (also known as corporate censorship).  ISPs could also speed up or promote access to content they support.  Essentially, it comes down to who will control your internet experience, you or your ISP?

Why would your ISP want the ability to control what you can or cannot access on the internet?  Well, for a variety of reasons.  For example, if your ISP is Verizon, perhaps they want to limit your access to content owned or controlled by one or all of their competitors.  Or perhaps their board doesn’t like the political views of certain sites.  Or perhaps they’ve made a deal with one of their advertisers to direct traffic to their site.  Or perhaps another entity is paying Verizon to block access to their competitor’s sites while making access to their site quicker and easier.  Or perhaps a union that affects Verizon’s business is planning a strike.  It would then be in Verizon’s best interest to block access to all content related to that union.  Get the picture?

Back in 2015, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled in favor of net neutrality when it reclassified broadband access as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act (that’s why, if you research net neutrality, you’ll read a lot about Title II).  These net neutrality rules took effect on June 17, 2015 and have been in place ever since.  However, an organization known as the United States Telecom Association, which represents the large telecom companies, has been lobbying the FCC to overturn those net neutrality rules ever since as well.  They filed a lawsuit to get them overturned, but the Court of Appeals for Washington D.C. upheld net neutrality in June of 2016.

Enter a new administration with a new FCC Commissioner, Ajit Varadaraj Pai.  Pai announced, soon after his appointment, that he sought to overturn net neutrality rules.  Shortly after this announcement, many internet pioneers, including the inventor of the World Wide Web (no, not Al Gore), Tim Lee, urged the FCC to uphold net neutrality.  Many supporters of net neutrality claim it is necessary to maintain the internet’s role in fair economic growth, innovation, civic empowerment and free speech.

On December 14, 2017, a Congressional committee voted, along party lines, in favor of the repeal of the standing net neutrality rules.  The FCC then, on February 2, 2018, informed the Senate of its intention to repeal net neutrality rules.  However, Congress can prevent this from happening if they pass what’s known as the Congressional Review Act within 60 legislative days from the FCC’s February announcement.  It is not known if both the Senate and House of Representatives will pass the Congressional Review Act.

There you have it…an explanation of net neutrality and why you should care about it.  If you support net neutrality, then simply contact your senators and member of the House of Representatives and urge them to pass the Congressional Review Act.  If not, simply do nothing and your net neutrality will vanish, permitting your ISP to control where you can and cannot go on the internet.