The Free Internet is Under Attack

The FCC has voted to repeal Net Neutrality, but the fight isn’t over yet.

Protester advocating for Net Neutrality to stay in place.

Max Neuberger, Contributor

  If you’re reading this, there’s a chance you may not be able to in the near future. visiting websites completely free of charge and enjoying fast-speed internet without your freedom of speech being restricted may all be about to change.

The FCC voted to repeal Net Neutrality in a 3-2 vote on Thursday, but the fight isn’t over yet. It still needs to pass through Congress, and advocacy groups such as the Free Press will definitely challenge the FCC in court. But what is it that these groups are fighting for?

 Net Neutrality  preserves our right to communicate freely online and keeps internet service providers (ISPs) from blocking or discriminating against any websites or content that operate on their networks.

 Without this law, companies like AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast will be able to control what content or which websites succeed, and which ones do not. An ISP could severely slow down its competitors, block political or social opinions it doesn’t agree with, or charge extra fees to the few companies who could afford it- leaving the rest of the internet in the slow lane.

 This would destroy the open internet as we know it. Donald Trump’s FCC Chairman, Ajit Pai, is leading the charge against Net Neutrality. Pai, a former lawyer for Verizon,  wants to give control of the internet to the very same companies that violated Net Neutrality for years before the FCC imposed its current rules in 2015.

  Net Neutrality isn’t just important for being the thing that lets you browse your preferred social media. It is crucial for minority communities to have a voice and communicate with each other from all around the world. Protests and marches are organized on the open internet because ISPs aren’t allowed to block the websites the discussion takes place on. Without these laws protecting these communities, whoever has the most money decides who gets to speak, who gets to have a voice in the world. Don’t bet on them having your best interests at heart.

 What can you do to help save the internet? Make your voice and your opinions heard. Email your state representatives today to let them know you will not stand for the destruction of Net Neutrality. Write to your local newspaper on why you think Net Neutrality should be preserved. Voice your opinions on every social media you have an account on. Speak up, and don’t let the cable companies destroy the open internet, throttle your service, and charge you extra for your favorite websites. Go to www.savetheinternet.com for more info and a guide on what to write to your member of Congress and your local newspaper.

 The internet is in trouble, and its users need to band together to save it.

 Join the fight today.