Grafton Globe Newspaper
Winter 2020 Edition
Right now, the internet is in peril.
Not more problems, you may think. Do we not already have enough? But this is big. This may change the internet as we know it. A monstrosity of an issue, if you ask me. More people need to be made aware of the impending doom that may be situated on our technological orbit forever. This issue is Net Neutrality. Ajit Pai is the head of the U.S Federal Communications Commission(FCC), an independent government organization overseeing the regulation of the radio, television, and phone industries. In November, the FCC confirmed dropping government oversight of ensuring unregulated access to content by Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Net Neutrality is a basic right and principle that bans internet service providers, such as Comcast or Verizon, from arbitrating speed with any applications, websites, or online content. It is the way we have grown to use the internet since its existence. Without Net Neutrality, ISPs have absolute freedom to manipulate speed, costs, and content access. If successful, America will soon face repercussions, including possible slower internet speeds, additional costs, or the blockage of certain websites. Daunting? I agree. Net Neutrality, simply put, is a violation of the first amendment—our right to free speech. In the absence of Net Neutrality, social activists operating online may not be able to function anymore, due to providers removing any political verbiage in order to keep customers and avoid the idea of political bias. Small business owners may not be able to network, grow or promote their brand anymore.
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Grafton Globe NewspaperStudent created articles in a student run digital newspaper. CategoriesArchives
February 2020
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