You Should Be Freaking Out Over Net Neutrality

Written by Stacey Khizder

Think about this: how much time do you think you spend on the internet each day? How heavily does your work, school, and social life rely on the internet?

Each aspect of my life is online. Most of my work depends on the Internet, my homework is released on a website, and I spend hours scrolling through a variety of social media apps every day.

If you haven't already been following the hashtag #NetNeutrality, you should know that your internet freedoms are in serious danger. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is moving forward with their plans to de-regulate net neutrality laws. Net neutrality laws ensure equal and free access to the Internet, without discriminating against users, platforms, websites, and content.

Not only is this threatening to our personal internet freedoms but this would disturb the competition of free online markets. With net neutrality, the Internet is an open platform that can be used for an infinite number of things, such as, starting a business, selling merchandise, reading the news, watching shows, and playing games, all within a few seconds (at least in 2017). Without net neutrality, the influence of money and big corporations will dictate how we use the Internet. Company giants like Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon will be able to filter what you see online, at which speed, and in a way that will benefit their business interests.

Without net neutrality, online independent media companies like The Young Turks would not have been able to grow into the largest in the world. TYT started off small, and was able to use free and accessible Internet to become the news and commentary empire that it is today.

The FCC will vote on ending net neutrality on December 14th. Fortunately, Congress can intervene by reversing any decision that the FCC will make. Here's what you can do to make that happen.