Net neutrality and why (or if) it matters

 

 

By Brittany Da Silva

 

Net neutrality. What does it mean? According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, net neutrality is “the idea, principle, or requirement that Internet service providers should or must treat all Internet data as the same regardless of its kind, source, or destination.” Under the rules and regulations of net neutrality, Internet service providers (ISPs) are not allowed to intentionally slow down the connections for people who attempt to access selected websites, apps and services, and also prevent these ISPs from blocking legal Internet content.

 

Net neutrality encourages ISPs to treat all Internet traffic equally by preventing these companies from favouring their own websites or services over other options. With net neutrality in place, the Internet remains free and open, meaning that users have complete control over the content that they access online. The end of net neutrality means that ISPs have control over the content that their users have the ability to access.

 

Without net neutrality, ISPs may be able to slow down or block the content of their competitors and any websites that they disagree with, or they may charge users monetary fees to access different levels of service. This means that those who can afford it may achieve a sense of open Internet, while others will have no choice but to accept slower service with more blocked content. This affects every single person who uses the Internet, as putting an end to net neutrality dangerously encroaches on the laws surrounding free speech and censorship.

 

To put net neutrality into perspective, consider the many video streaming services available online. A short list of popular providers in Canada includes: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, CraveTV, CBS All Access, and Shudder. Clearly, Netflix is the most popular video streaming service provider in Canada at the moment, but without net neutrality, your ISP could slow or block your ability to access its content.

 

Imagine this: Rogers, a major ISP in Canada, has partnered with CraveTV. If you are a Rogers customer, you will now have CraveTV prioritized over all other video streaming services. If you try to connect to Netflix instead, your Internet connection may suddenly start lagging or may drop altogether, simply because you are attempting to connect to a competitor’s service. Perhaps it is only by paying an additional monthly charge to Rogers that you can access Netflix. Better yet, perhaps only Bell customers can connect to Netflix at all, as Bell has become the only ISP to strike a deal with the company.

 

This control over what consumers can see on the Internet may have devastating consequences on startups or small companies as well. It would be difficult for small operations to compete with large corporations who have more financial backing in a world without net neutrality. With net neutrality in place, the Internet is a space for everyone. It is a place where you can access the content that you’re interested in, and where you can say what you want, where you want to.

 

Valuing net neutrality is valuing free speech, no matter what the cost. Net neutrality prevents censorship from controlling what we can and cannot see. Putting an end to net neutrality seems like a dangerous first step towards totalitarianism, by filtering how individuals can participate or react to their environment via the Internet. Net neutrality is connected to freedom, and that’s why it matters to everyone.