I’m diverging from my usual topic from the kitchen and bringing you the latest on something that’s held my interest for the past few weeks.
Net neutrality has been one of those hot topics online and can be defined through the struggle that net users are facing with their companies in whether the companies will be given the power to regulate what gets greater access to the consumers or not. In essence the large internet providers are trying to find ways to control internet usage in the homes of consumers and the consumers are not happy about it: But here’s some more context.
The impact ASTU has left with me has led me to question the future of the internet, but it has also left me to think of how limiting the internet can impact the ways in which individuals can express themselves immediately through a global media. In this moment I keep bloggers like: Salam Pax and bloggers like him. The power that these companies have on flow of information would not only inhibit small companies from being able to access consumers, but also have the potential in inhibiting access from underground bloggers as a primary resource of international situations. Should the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allow for the large internet providers to take action, not only would that be an inconvenience to consumers, but we would be taking steps back from the progress of expressing ourselves in a carefree manner.
Knowing this, I was extremely encouraged to find out this morning that the chairman of the FCC, Tom Wheeler, has voted in favour of Net Neutrality and will be working towards fighting towards a free internet as stated on his Twitter. Stating that “Today, I’m proposing rules to keep the Internet fair, fast and open and grounded in #TitleII authority.” It is important to recognize how a sovereign power would impact the structure of the internet and how a governing ruler would negatively affect how the stories of many individuals would never reach the surface of the internet.
I hope the internet will always be a free and open space in which we can express ourselves without meeting roadblocks.
Hello Kacey,
Thank you for your thoughtful, well developed blog post on the subject of Net Neutrality. This is an extreme dense subject and I appreciate the care you took to illuminate this issue. I personally agree that the Internet should remain free, because with infringements on Net Neutrality comes infringements on democratic rights and freedom of express. I loved how you drew upon Salam Pax in your discussion. Though, (I am playing the devils advocate here) we must consider that in keeping the internet open and free, that would mean that everyone and everything is acceptable. I would like to draw attention to the recent video’s release by IS (formerly ISIS) which depicted the beheading of innocent Westerners. These video were created the the intentions of creating panic and they succeeded in that goal. So should there be some restrictions on the Internet, if only to protect people from terrorists?