Net Neutrality

Net neutrality is defined as the policy that requires Internet service providers (ISPs) to give access to all digital content according to availability, not personal or organizational preference, priority, or relationship. ISPs cannot discriminate based on a favorable relationship, organizational pressure, or financial incentive. In short, every website or digital application is treated the same by the ISP and may not be blocked or slowed down intentionally. An ISP like Comcast, an organization that provides Internet access to millions of households around the world, cannot slow down access to popular streaming website Netflix to give its own streaming website a competitive advantage. This is because net neutrality is a legal principle that changes over time based on the ruling authority of government. In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is responsible for regulating issues of digital policy and access. While net neutrality was the legal principle until 2017 in the United States, changes in FCC leadership as appointed by President Trump overturned net neutrality and eliminated it. Globally, net neutrality is an inconsistent policy in both its design and enforcement. India has one of the strongest sets of net neutrality policies in the world and has strong enforcement measures that heavily penalize ISPs that are found to violate it. The European Union similarly has net neutrality policies, but these are inconsistently enforced throughout its member countries. Australia also has strong net neutrality policies, but critics warn that these policies are rarely enforced. Alternatively, countries like China do not enforce net neutrality at all. Enforcement is often tied to how it is constructed politically. As a policy, net neutrality is a political issue that cultivates pro- and anti-activist groups. The policy is frequently tied to issues of free speech, in that when an ISP discriminates against a specific website, it is simultaneously discriminating against that website’s text/speech. Pro-net neutrality activists argue that net neutrality is foundational to free speech online. Alternatively, anti-net neutrality activists argue that the policy is a cover for government interfering with the economic growth of digital organizations. These discrepancies dramatically impact how technology companies conduct business and public access to digital content.