Obfuscators may be the worst marketers ever. I’ve noticed that post-9/11, the US government seems to love trying to pass controversial legislation by tacking on the word “freedom”. It’s been so overused that it’s been rendered almost meaningless if not ominous. That’s also true in this case.
When I first heard about “restoring internet freedom”, based on the name, I assumed it meant ensuring internet equality and access. I assumed it meant defending net neutrality. I was wrong. Freedom in this case refers to the freedom of internet service providers to control content and speed of delivery based on their preferences.
This is a real thing, they’re trying to pass it soon, and from everything I’ve researched, I think it would be very bad for most of us. This actually concerns me enough that I’ve decided to dedicate today’s post to net neutrality. See below for an explanation of what it is, arguments for it, arguments against it, my opinion, and what you can do about it. I’m trying to keep this simple and straightforward, but please see references below for sources that both support and oppose this issue.
What Is Net Neutrality?
The Wikipedia entry for net neutrality explains it better than I ever could, so here is how they define it. They state that “Net neutrality is the principle that Internet service providers and governments regulating most of the Internet must treat all data on the Internet the same, and not discriminate or charge differentially by user, content, website, platform, application, type of attached equipment, or method of communication. For instance, under these principles, internet service providers are unable to intentionally block, slow down or charge money for specific websites and online content.”
Also, the show Last Week Tonight did two pretty thorough reviews of this, so please also see both Part 1 and Part 2 if you want to learn more.
What Is Restoring Internet Freedom?
Internet service providers (ISPs) have unsuccessfully tried to get rid of net neutrality several times in the past few years. Under the Obama administration, net neutrality was protected. Under the Trump administration however, it’s in trouble again.
The new chairman of the FCC, Ajit Pai, is a former lawyer for Verizon. Like most Republicans, he is pro-free market. As such, one of his first orders of business was to try to destroy net neutrality. He refers to this as restoring internet freedom and under the current Republican majority, he may succeed.
What Is The Basic Argument For Net Neutrality?
The main argument here is essentially that the internet should be regulated like a utility. All content should be treated and delivered equally, and ISPs should not have the ability to censor or favor any content above others.
As a simple example to illustrate this, consider the following: say Comcast were to create its own video streaming service. Without net neutrality, they would be able to slow down other video streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu and speed up their own service, thereby frustrating customers into switching, and growing their own business. Worst-case scenario, they would be able to outright block their competitors or charge them more to have their services streamed faster.
Who Favors Net Neutrality?
Pretty much everyone. In terms of businesses, see here for a larger list of companies that participated in the net neutrality day of action on 7/12/17. For those with limited time, that list includes Google, Facebook, Amazon, Reddit, Twitter, Netflix, Imgur, and of course, the ACLU.
What Is The Basic Argument Against Net Neutrality?
The main argument against net neutrality is grounded in the idea of the free market. If ISPs are not regulated, they will be more in competition with one another, so if an ISP fails to satisfy customers, those customers can simply switch to another ISP. ISPs argue that regulating the internet decentivizes them from being innovative, creating more infrastructure, and providing better service.
As a simple example to illustrate this, consider the following: say Comcast did start blocking content or throttling speeds to favor content they prefer, customers would get irritated and simply switch to AT&T or another ISP. The ability for customers to decide which ISP they prefer would force greater competition and create better service overall.
Who Opposes Net Neutrality?
Internet services providers. Duh.
What Do I Think About This?
As I wrote above, I am strongly in favor of net neutrality. I’m sympathetic to the idea of free market in some instances, but I think we have become so dependent on the internet as a culture, that the government should be regulating this. Breaking net neutrality would give too much power to ISPs. I’m not just worried about streaming video services, I’m worried about information on the whole. I’m worried about throttled news sources and dissenting opinions. In short, I think the internet ought to be treated as a utility.
Did you know that the US is ranked 9th globally in terms of internet speed, but we pay more for internet service than a lot of other countries? Most areas of the US have only a handful of internet providers. Where I live in Chicago for example, there are really only 3-4 choices. However, like a lot of buildings in my area, my building is only wired for 1. So where’s the competition there? Even if I had more choices, most ISPs offer about the same service for about the same cost. I don’t want to go as far as implying collusion, but I will go as far as to say that in industries where there are only a few competitors, your business typically ends up being at parity with your competitors. Why invest in innovation and customer service when know your competitors won’t? Why not just maintain your current state and keep your profits?
In short, I don’t think I would be as spooked by this if there was more competition among ISPs, but there isn’t. The current government puts business ahead of people claiming that as business grows, the people will benefit. I just don’t think that’s true. I don’t think people will benefit from restoring internet freedom. I think government should protect and serve the people first and foremost, so regulation here is appropriate. I’m tired of the billionaires winning while us regular folks get screwed.
What Can You Do About This?
If this concerns you, call your representatives. You can find them here. Or, if you’re like me and you don’t have time to call, you can find your House Representative’s email address here and your Senators’ email addresses here. You can also register with Google’s protest here.
Other References
Save the Internet – https://www.savetheinternet.com/net-neutrality-what-you-need-know-now
Battle for the Net – https://www.battleforthenet.com/
Forbes – “Am I The Only Techie Against Net Neutrality?”, Josh Steimle, 5/14/14. https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshsteimle/2014/05/14/am-i-the-only-techie-against-net-neutrality/
Washington Post – “What to know about the FCC’s plan to undo it’s net neutrality rules”, Brian Fung, 11/20/17. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/11/20/what-to-know-about-the-fccs-upcoming-plan-to-undo-its-net-neutrality-rules/?utm_term=.1a11ad04990d