On December 14th, the FCC will vote on whether or not to repeal net neutrality rules set during Obama’s presidency. But what is net neutrality?

Net neutrality is the idea that the internet is a public utility. It prevents internet service providers (ISPs) from regulating how you access the internet. They cannot speed up or slow down any content, or charge you extra for services such as high-quality streaming. Removing these rules would place ISPs in a position where they can control how information is accessed.

Placing companies in charge of how content on the internet is seen has the potential for abuse. With net neutrality, web traffic cannot be muffled by ISPs. However, without those regulations, any sort of information can be interfered with in the spread of its message. Anything that the company does not agree with can simply be blocked. This could dismantle communities already established on the internet that rely on it to organize political movements and other events, essentially silencing their voice.

Not only would freedom of speech be affected, but business as well. There could be “fast lanes” for companies that could pay the premium so their content can be accessed quickly. This creates unhealthy competition, as companies that have the money to pay for a “fast lane” would be able to shut out their opponents, but most notably, would affect small business. Small business would not be able to compete with larger corporations. The internet has allowed small business to thrive, but a closed internet could endanger that success. As consumers are browsing and buying more from the internet than ever before, ISPs should not have the power to control how the economy of the internet works. Keeping the internet open keeps competition between business fair.

It is likely that the rollback will succeed, however, there is still hope. If an open, fair internet is important to you, speak up by contacting your Massachusetts’ representatives in Congress to push for an open internet. There is still time before December 14th to have your voice heard.