Net Neutrality is the idea that all traffic on the internet – whether visiting Google or watching a video on YouTube is given the same priority. If ISPs have their way, they will be able to give preference to certain sites and possibly block others unless you pay extra. Recently the District of Columbia Court of Appeals ruled that the FCC does not have the right to enforce Net Neutrality… but what does that mean for you?
Currently if you have internet service you can access any website or file sharing service without paying extra (except for possibly bandwidth usage restrictions). If ISPs have their way, they will be able to charge extra to access certain websites. Essentialy this would mean that the internet could be packaged the same way cable providers charge for TV channels – in packages. The image below exemplifies this idea…
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The recent ruling means that the FCC does not have the power to regulate broadband services unless Congress grants the power for them to do so, which they have not yet done. This is a serious setback for Net Neutrality, but it is still far from a defeat. Congress could give the FCC these powers… but it remains to be seen what will happen.
So what does this mean for webmasters?
If Net Neutrality fails then websites could be left out of basic packages, meaning websites will have a smaller possible audience. ISPs could block websites they don’t like such as: competitors, sites that use a lot of bandwidth, sites which contain obscene or mature content, politically motivated sites, file sharing sites or any sites they don’t want users accessing.
This could lead to a potential loss of profits for small time webmasters and a monopoly for larger corporations. Webmasters may be forced to adhere to certain standards to be included in certain packages for ISPs.
Most people see the internet as a source of open, freely available information that allows anyone to publish content at their will. Net neutrality may take this away and forever change the face of the internet.
How you can help
If you, like the majority of Americans oppose this, you can help by contacting your local Congressman or Senator and tell them that you support net neutrality and you do not want ISPs determining which content you can view and you oppose charging extra to access the whole information. Tell your representative that you want to keep the internet as a place for the freedom of information.
April 10th, 2010 on 11:36 am
I don’t design websites but even as just a internet user I know this is bad. I don’t want my internet company deciding what sites I can and can’t visit!