The Pros and Cons of Net Neutrality

The net neutrality debate has been an ongoing fight between consumers and telecom giants. Consumers want it, but ISPs do not, with all pondering the pros and cons of net neutrality. Many people hoped that with a new president would come a new FCC, who would restore net neutrality. Unfortunately, the nominee for the vacant has still not been confirmed.

Recent History of Net Neutrality in the United States

There was a huge push in 2018 to stop the repeal of net neutrality principles, but Ajit Pai’s FCC seemed to get win after win, as the House of Representatives failed to pass the Senate’s resolution to stop the repeal. While some states have passed their own laws, barring providers from receiving state funding if they did not offer net neutral service, the FCC doubled down in October 2020. In a 3-2 vote, they reaffirmed rolling back net neutrality regulations. At the same time, states that implemented their own net neutrality laws have faced legal challenges.

Following the conclusion of Ajit Pai’s term as chairman, the FCC has a 2-2 split along partisan lines. President Biden recently appointed Gigi Sohn, a former FCC official, to fill the vacant seat. She has stated that she fully supports reinstating net neutrality. However, she is yet to be confirmed and an uphill battle looms.

Pros and Cons of Net Neutrality

Proponents of net neutrality point to a host of pros that come with the policy. However, critics point out a number of potential drawbacks, which we’ll explore below.

Pros of Net Neutrality

1. The Internet remains neutral. This one is self-explanatory. Aside from illegal content, regulations will not exist. Essentially, this means that an ISP cannot block access, change services, or alter the flow of data to customers.
2. Regulations are in place for illegal activities. Many individuals worry that without regulation, illegal content and activity will run rampant on the Internet. This is not the case. ISPs are treated as a regulated common carrier, preventing activities such as illegal file-sharing.
3. It protects freedom of expression. Websites such as blogs, services, and businesses that abide by the law are able to operate legally. As long as laws go unbroken, content will not be censored. Without net neutrality, ISPs could potentially censor slanderous content or even content they do not agree with.
4. Companies can continue to innovate. In the past, companies started and grew on an equal playing field. With net neutrality, big companies and small startups will have access to the same resources and capabilities, allowing innovation of products and services.
5. ISPs are classified as a utility provider. Public utilities provide services to maintain our quality of life. Many argue that the Internet is as essential to the modern lifestyle as water and power. Utilities are provided to everyone unless they refuse to pay for them. Without net neutrality, the Internet could become a luxury that many cannot afford.
6. ISPs cannot raise prices on services. ISPs aren’t allowed to bundle or package access to specific sites or services. Without Net Neutrality, internet access would be offered just like cable:

Cons Of Net Neutrality

1. There is no compensation for data usage. In this day and age, services like Zoom are offering real-time video calls. Netflix offers high-definition video streaming. These services utilize massive amounts of data for free on an ISP’s infrastructure.
2. Improve infrastructure by increasing prices. There are many businesses and individuals that use large amounts of bandwidth. Furthermore, without net neutrality, ISPs can charge more for their data consumption. In essence, the additional income will fund upgrades such as advanced fiber networks.
3. An unregulated Internet is an uncensored Internet. Nowadays, anyone can post something on the Internet under the guise of “freedom of speech.” Consequently, obscene and insensitive content easily ends up on the Internet.
4. All in all, Net Neutrality may be “more concept than rubric”. At ZDNet, David Gerwitz argues that Net Neutrality “may not be what you think.” According to Gerwitz, the situation surrounding Net Neutrality is political theatre and the FCC changes proposed by Ajit Pai will not cause any major changes, as Net Neutrality is Myth.

What Does The Repeal of Net Neutrality Mean For You?

Regardless of future votes by the FCC, a smart choice for Internet users is to use a virtual private network or VPN. Looking over the pros and cons of net neutrality, it’s clear that no matter what, you must protect your data.

Due to the current FCC repeal of net neutrality, your ISP has more access to your data and browsing habits. Your internet isn’t your internet. Verizon can throttle your Netflix connection if you don’t pay them more. Comcast’s data caps can shut out the traffic they want. To combat this, a VPN tunnels your data through a server overseas, essentially hiding your data from your ISP.

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