Net neutrality: what could happen to the internet?

What if your internet service provider had the power to restrict access to your favorite websites?

That nightmare could soon become a reality. On Dec. 14, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repealed regulations preventing internet service providers (ISPs) from stopping or slowing down access to certain content. This means companies such as AT&T and Comcast may have full control over who can visit which websites.

The FCC’s vote ended net neutrality, the principle that ISPs should allow equal access to all internet services regardless of their content. Opponents of net neutrality argue the government has no role in managing the internet. However, granting ISPs power over the distribution of online information is an unwise alternative endangering the freedom of internet users nationwide.

Allowing ISPs to govern the accessibility and speed of web services leads to a slew of problems. For instance, providers may censor blogs or even news sources that contain views the owners of ISPs disagree with. They may discriminate socioeconomically by offering better network packages only wealthy people can afford. Popular services such as Facebook or Reddit may have extra fees attached. The internet may even devolve into a corporate battleground, with ISPs deliberately siphoning business from companies by slowing or blocking their content. Without net neutrality, nothing stops ISPs from making the Internet as profitable as possible—even if that means sacrificing users’ freedom.

Because it is so widely used, Internet access should be treated like any other public utility. Millions of Americans depend on the internet, and the number is only growing. According to the Pew Research Center, the percentage of American adults who regularly use the internet increased from 52 percent in 2000 to 88 percent in 2016. With education, commerce and even transportation becoming more reliant on the worldwide web, the internet is almost indispensable. Americans should have unrestricted access to such a necessity regardless of how they use it, just as they have access to other public services.

In short, removing net neutrality may jeopardize the freedom of Americans to use the Internet’s valuable resources. By handing over control of the Internet to greedy corporations, the FCC’s decision to repeal net neutrality spells disaster for Internet users nationwide. However, under the Congressional Review Act, Congress has a 60-day window to override the FCC’s decision. The battle is not quite over yet—contact your local Congressmen to save net neutrality.