How you can help restore Net Neutrality · 8:21am Jan 17th, 2018
A little less than two months ago, I wrote a blog post about the then-upcoming vote by Ajit Pai and the FCC to repeal Net Neutrality, allowing internet providers to control how the public can access the internet via so-called 'toll lanes', slowing loading speeds, and even censoring websites divide up the internet into various 'toll lanes' that would drastically change how we experience the internet on a day to day basis. And though the public sent letters, phone calls, e-mails, and other forms of protest, Pai and the FCC (barring two of it's lead members) ignored the public and repealed the act.
However, the fight for Net Neutrality is far from over. Today, the FCC was hit with lawsuits by various states and organizations regarding the repeal, and more are likely to come as the months go on. And, more importantly, Democrats in Congress, led by Ed Markey, are working to force a vote to restore Net Neutrality, and require only one more senator to win such an appeal in the Senate, with another motion being led by Representative Mike Doyle in the House of Representatives. But to be honest, the chances of these acts succeeding seem faint; even if the motion passes the Senate, it still needs to pass the House of Representatives, and then be signed into law by President Donald Trump, who has previously spoken in favor of repealing Net Neutrality.
If such a motion is unlikely to pass, why should we support it? you may ask. The reason is because of midterm elections later this year: if politicians vote against restoring Net Neutrality, they will, in essence, show that they support corporate profits over the public's right to access all information on the internet freely and without discrimination. Considering how Net Neutrality is overwhelmingly supported by both Republicans and Democrats alike, those who vote against it face being voted out of office come November, as their stance will almost certainly be seized by opponents and broadcasted to the public, telling them that their senator or representative supports companies that charge their customers more money for the same internet access, and even higher fees to access popular sites such as Google, video streaming, and social media.
With that said, this is the perfect moment for those of us who support Net Neutrality to act. How? It's simple: call your senator and representative, and tell them to support Markey's measure. The more senators and representatives hear from their constituents, the more they know how much the public wants Net Neutrality to remain in place, and the political consequences if these senators and representatives face if they vote against Net Neutrality. And fear not: the process to call your senators and representatives isn't as intimidating as it sounds. Use this website (or this one for representatives) to find your senators and representatives, and then call them up. You will either get their voice message system or an aide, at which point you can use this script:
"Hello. My name is __________, and I’m a resident of ____________. I'm calling with regards to Senator Ed Markey's measure to overturn the FCC and restore Net Neutrality. Because I believe the internet is a resource that everyone should be able to access and use equally without paying more for additional content, I urge (name of your senator/representative) to support efforts to restore Net Neutrality. Thank you.”
It's a simple act, but still the best way to voice your opinion. I did so, and was surprised today to receive a letter from my representative that she will be supporting efforts to restore Net Neutrality. Yes, it was a form letter, but the fact that it was sent to me without a request on my part shows that one voice can make a difference, however small.
The struggle for a free internet is not over. There's still time to make things right, and you can help. All it takes is a phone call to lend your voice to the millions who aren't going down without a fight.
Honestly, I haven't seen any real changes since the repeal. My ISP was kinda shitty before, and it hasn't gotten any worse.
I do think it is a good idea to bring it back, but it's not nearly as big of an issue as some other things I could think of, like cancer.
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From what I understand, the complete dissolution of Net Neutrality won't take effect until sometime this year, depending on when the FCC officially submits the new rules regarding regulations. It could be anywhere to a few weeks to a few months, but the changes will inevitably come.
The major internet companies who benefit from this have promised not to change how we access the internet, but as I said in a previous blog, history shows that the majority of companies value profits over treating customers fairly. And if you are one of the unfortunate ones who only has one or two providers to choose from, things could get much worse if your provider slows down your speeds unless you pay up. That may not happen, but at this point, anything goes.
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"We really, really, super promise we are not going to change how the internet works or charge you differently for different access or throttle sites that don't pay extra, even though we've spent millions on lobbyist and bribes to allow us to do exactly that."