The Battle For The Internet's Neutrality

The Battle For The Internet's Neutrality

Net Neutrality has evolved over the years and has come to define a couple different things relating to the global system of interconnected networks that we call the internet. As of right now it stands for a principle that believes that all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and governments should consider all data on the internet equal. ISPs have been hatching incredibly evil plans in their lairs of doom that essentially create fast lanes for internet sites that pay a fee to have their sites run smoother and faster. If they don’t pay up they would throttle that site sending it into a crawl with maximum amounts of those loading icons that we all love so much. Along with that they wanted to put individual sites into those stupid bundles that they are so obsessed with.

Just look at this bullshit!

This is not in the least bit okay. It would change the face of one of the most important tools that humanity has ever created and essentially make it a cash cow for some of the most despicable companies on the planet (Comcast earned Consumerist’s “Worst Company In America” title for 2014). So the FCC stepped in and in 2010 created regulations that kept the internet neutral. However in early 2014 Verizon challenged those regulations in the U.S. Court of Appeals and they ruled that the FCC does not actually hold the power to create those regulations. The good news that came after all the bad of that ruling was that the FCC could reclassify the internet thereby giving it regulatory powers.

Today a historic vote was tallied by the FCC and in a 3-2 decision the internet was reclassified as a public utility. Here is a run-down of the things now banned because of this reclassification:

"No Blocking: broadband providers may not block access to legal content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices. No Throttling: broadband providers may not impair or degrade lawful Internet traffic on the basis of content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices. No Paid Prioritization: broadband providers may not favor some lawful Internet traffic over other lawful traffic in exchange for consideration — in other words, no 'fast lanes.' This rule also bans ISPs from prioritizing content and services of their affiliates." [source]

Score a win for the little guys. For once. Just in case you haven't watched John Oliver's famous show that detailed Net Neutrality back in June here it is. Oliver was one of the biggest advocators of getting comments into the FCC during their open window. The outpouring of support for Net Nutrality resulted in over 3 million comments made on the FCC's website.



For now the internet will remain an equal playground. An all at once amazing and twisted playground, but equal.

- Demo