What Net Neutrality Is and Isn't

By Amanda Fernandez, Senior

The loss of Net Neutrality is a scary thing, but it is not half of what most people say it is. In fact, the current Net Neutrality law is fairly new, recently added in 2015.

Just because the FCC voted on December 14th to strike down Net Neutrality, it does not mean the internet will all of a sudden “die” and become only exclusive to those who can pay $14.99/a month for Twitter.

First of all, most do not even know what net neutrality is? Net neutrality is essentially the idea that ISPs (internet service providers) cannot give special treatment to content providers. All this means is that ISPs must load websites, apps, videos, and content at the same speed despite who is hosting the content. They cannot charge more for content providers like Netflix or Twitter.  This issue is VERY controversial and is a main issue for both conservatives, liberals, and inbetweens:

​Now that net neutrality has been initially voted down, many people are thinking, “What’s going to happen?” First of all, it still needs to pass Congress. Second of all, if you have seen this post on Twitter or anywhere else:

​As alarming as the above Tweet, people need to understand the true reality of the situation:

Deregulating the industry is scary because there is no way to be sure how much an ISP can charge, but most likely, consumers will not be charged a monthly fee for specific websites or searches. Consumers may be charged for the speed the websites will load, not the actual content itself.  

​The internet is an extraordinary place for games, reading, videos, research and a myriad of other stuff, and no company should ever be able to limit others from that hub of information and entertainment. Net neutrality is not “dead” yet, and if you want to keep it alive, call your local representatives and voice your opinion.