Save Net Neutrality #netneutrality
Ok kids, *rubs hands together* here we go.
As many of you may have probably heard, the FCC (Federal Communications Committee) wants to repeal Net Neutrality in the USA, which rests on the principle of having unrestricted access to any site you would like through your Internet Service Provider.
If Net Neutrality is repealed, ISPs will have the ability to create slow-lanes and fast-lanes (slowing or speeding up your internet speed depending on how much websites choose to pay), bundling the websites you have access to into packages you must pay for (for example, social networks like Snapchat and Tumblr, and streaming services like Netflix or Crave, are bundled and cost x amount of money for access) much like cable TV.
They can restrict whatever content and websites they dislike or feel imposes their ideals, and effectively cut you off from certain information they don’t want you to see. They can monitor all of the content you access and have full control of how you use the internet. They can favour certain websites that work to their own benefit, for example they could purposely slow down Google and speed up Bing just because Bing chooses to pay Verizon more money. Sites will have to pay in order to have fast internet speeds; and if they don’t, they will have to deal with purposefully slow service set for them by ISPs.
I live in Canada, and i’ve been looking in to how this might effect us as we live closest to the US. My country and the Prime Minister seem to be standing their ground in opposition, but I cannot say for sure with other countries.
Repealing Net Neutrality could effect other countries all around the world. The majority of content consumed on the internet is based in the United States. Google, Netflix, YouTube, Facebook, Wikipedia and Yahoo! are all American based websites, and some of the biggest in the world. Though some of these websites have the money to pay for “Fast-lane service”, they wouldn’t be happy about it; and streaming service would raise their prices, and some sites may just have to implement new fees for their services.
In the future, it may also cause other countries being pressure by american based ISPs, and even by the Federal Government and Donald Trump, to follow suite of the new repeal. This could have a snowball effect on countries all over the world.
Rather than having the internet as a basic database to access information in all walks of economic class, it becomes more of a luxury for the rich and higher class. Repealing Net Neutrality will completely crush independent sellers, musicians, small companies, and emerging entrepreneurs. The big guys get bigger and effectively drive out the new competitors.
In terms of Fandom, you might witness content creators, writers, and artists disappear, possibly unable to have access to their programs and even Tumblr itself. I really, really, don’t want to watch this happen.
However this vote does not take place until December 14th, and there is still time to make a difference and fight for an open internet.
Please sign ASAP and look into how you might be affected.
If you live in the USA, text RESIST to 50409 and Resist Bot will help you contact your officials and have your say on the matter
kianamaiart
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