Why we need to fight for net neutrality again
The internet is a medium for unrestricted exploring of information. As end users, when we visit the internet we have certain concerns like data interception by service providers (ISPs), privacy protection and seemless browsing. We do not want ISPs to block any content or limit any websites. This is the way how the internet has worked since its inception.
This is the prime concept of net neutrality - the principle that ISPs should not control what we see and do online.
In the past, there have been many attempts to rule out net neutrality. Vigilant users, startups and tech giants have collectively booted out such attempts by undertaking campaigns and protesting against the proposal.
End to net neutrality means ISPs will be able to decide which content you would see using paid prioritisation.
Paid prioritisation on the internet is the optimisation of data transfer rates for edge providers in exchange for payment. This in turn creates “fast lanes” for sites such as Google and Facebook.
Let us think in a different way. Consider your own tech startup which is related to e-commerce. You are sure it has the potential to perform better than most other e-commerce websites available due to the uniqueness and content delivery of your website.
But now we consider a case where there is no net neutrality. The end-users who would visit your site would experience a different browsing speed and rankings compared to visiting already established sites like Amazon, eBay, etc. Worse, the ISP provides free surfing to giant e-commerce websites, so more end-users would visit those websites than your startup. Sounds scary, isn’t it?
“Free basics”, part of Facebook’s internet.org in 2015, claimed to offer free internet to Facebook and its few partnering platforms (like Bing, etc). There was a misleading campaigning by Facebook which presented “free basics” in a way that it provides free internet access. But it was free for those partnering sites only.
Facebook tied up with Reliance Communications, which means only Reliance users can avail these so called “free” services. This is totally opposite to net neutrality, because if any other company wants to list their website for “free basics’, they need to pay Reliance and Facebook for the tie-up.
#NetNeutrality allowed me to invent the web without having to ask for permission. Let's keep the internet open! https://t.co/EFahwkEBnS
— Tim Berners-Lee (@timberners_lee) July 12, 2017
If you run a small business, then you would stand no chance against this. There was a lot of media campaign and awareness over net neutrality on this issue. People sent comments via email to TRAI, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, opposing internet.org. Ultimately, TRAI banned free basics temporarily. If that had not happened, the scenario would have been different.
Let’s broaden our perspective. After a decade-long battle for the neutrality of the internet, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) implemented strong rules for net neutrality which protect the rights of the user.
The rules are based on Title II of the Communications Act. After the rules were framed, global phone and cable giants filed an appeal against it, which ignited the net neutrality debate once again. FCC’s chairman Ajit Pai, an Indian American attorney, wants to remove Title II and make a slight change to Title I, which is against net neutrality.
In simple words, this means it would give control of the internet to those cable and phone companies who opposed net neutrality in 2015. Tim Berners Lee, the inventor of the world wide web, opposed this and said: “#NetNeutrality allowed me to invent the web without having to ask for permission. Let's keep the internet open! Battleforthenet.com.”
Think of Title II being ruled out and net neutrality being revoked. The internet would no longer be the same - companies paying more to cable operators and ISPs would control what you see and what you click. Your favourite websites would become slow, you would not even be able to post your own views on sensitive issues on the internet.
The ISPs could block free speech and vulnerable people would lose a vital platform to raise their concerns. Bandwidth would be throttled - that means what you would see on the internet plan won’t be what you would receive. Would you really want to go online anymore?
Google, Amazon and over 80,000 companies have planned a protest against the FCC plans to reverse net neutrality. Twitter has started a campaign with the hashtag #NetNeutrality along with the buffering logo.
July 12 was the internet wide day of action to save net neutrality. The internet comes together to fight for the cause. Sites like Netflix and Reddit have creatively displayed the importance of net neutrality on their homepages.
The internet needs support of users to protect its neutrality. What you can do is to write a meaningful comment to FCC mentioning how net neutrality has affected you. You can file comments against Pai’s plan to revoke net neutrality. Let’s take this step in order to Make Internet Great Again.