Back in February, the D.C. Circuit Court struck down the FCC’s net neutrality rules, necessitating new regulations.

Why It’s Important

Net neutrality is the concept that all traffic on the Internet should be treated the same by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like Comcast, Verizon, and Time Warner. The ISPs would much rather treat traffic differently, charging customers more for high-demand websites like Netflix. (Indeed, they’re already doing this – Comcast has made Netflix pay extra for the privilege of not having its traffic throttled, meaning that Comcast is getting paid twice to deliver the same data: once by you, their customer, and once again by Netflix.)

The FCC’s proposed net neutrality rules would permit the creation of a “fast lane,” allowing ISPs to charge extra for faster access to content of their choosing. Net neutrality proponents say that violates the spirit and intention of the Internet, which is to treat all bytes the same.

Concern for New Businesses

Net neutrality isn’t just about being able to watch “Scandal” on demand. The Internet’s openness and indiscriminate traffic delivery has meant that anyone can set up shop on the Internet and not have to worry about engaging in exclusive deals for traffic delivery. If net neutrality falls, the fear is that a business will have to “pay to play” if it wants customer access to its website to be faster than to competitors’ websites. (Believe it or not, a few seconds of waiting makes a big difference.)

Net neutrality is something that everyone should care about – and does, apparently. Tech Crunch reported that as of August 15, the FCC had received 1.1 million comments on the proposal, a number second only to Janet Jackson’s 2004 “wardrobe malfunction.”

Related Resources:

  • Open Internet Proposal (FCC)
  • John Oliver’s Hilarious Net Neutrality Piece Speaks the Truth (Slate)
  • Does The Internet Need a Bill of Rights? (FindLaw’s Technologist)
  • Talking Turkey: Is New Internet Law a Danger to Democracy? (FindLaw’s Technologist)

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