In 2014, Airtel – an Internet Service Provider in India had announced that its users would have to pay more to access VoIP services. For the uninitiated, VoIP services are services that allow you make calls via an internet connection such as Facebook, Skype, IMO, etc. Elsewhere, in China precisely, the government has built a high ‘wall of fire’ called firewall, to restrict the people from accessing some parts of the web, e.g., Facebook and YouTube. Also in some other countries of the world, there have been reported cases of internet service providers meddling with users experience on the web such as speeding up and down, or in extreme cases, blocking access to certain contents, websites, and applications.
The preceding are cases of content and data censoring around the world, and net neutrality is a phenomenon that frankly prohibits these wild experiences. Net neutrality advocates for an open and free communication on the web because it is the original state of the net; after all, it’s the right of all of us to communicate freely and openly. It is a cause that promotes and protects free speech on the internet. Net neutrality means that ISPs shouldn’t have to charge more for contents or applications people find most interesting, or throttle the speed of accessing contents that don’t align with the interests of these companies. Ultimately, net neutrality is what makes the internet remain free and unregulated.
How does net neutrality affect the internet?
For entrepreneurs, business owners and start-ups, who rely on the web to launch, advance or promote their businesses, net neutrality is most essential. These businesses need a level playing ground to compete with established competitors and a free and open internet will help lower the barrier entry. Only a neutral internet can allow startups thrive online. It is only a free and open internet that will enable the next grand invention blossom.
The mainstream media always claim to be objective, on a voyage to pushing the truth and fighting for justice. That’s not always been true. Most of the mainstream media are only out for economic gains and always pushing an underlying agenda. The apparent panacea to the long misrepresentation of the mainstream media remains the internet. Without net neutrality, our speeches may continue to be censored, making our voices unheard.
While the internet may not be “dead” without net neutrality, it will continue to put its use on a slippery slope, stifle innovations and perhaps turn most of us antisocial.
Net neutrality is a phenomenon that should unite all internet users. People hold diverse opinions on issues, share dissident values and have different interests, it is only net neutrality that can help uphold our right to freedom of thoughts and interested. Therefore it has to be protected by all.