Eight years ago, I predicted the worst. Net neutrality emerged just a few years ago and was overturned by the original Trump administration in 2017. List all the bad things that will happen as a result.
Now, after a Federal appeals court rules against the case The Biden administration’s efforts to restore net neutrality have long stalled, and I have to admit I was wrong. Net neutrality has never been what we think of as an online freedom fighter, in part because it’s also a product of its time, and the online and broadband world has changed beneath our feet.
Before we review my apocalyptic vision, it’s worth examining what net neutrality is and what it should do.
Save the Internet
In the broadest sense, net neutrality is about ensuring that the pipes or infrastructure and systems that deliver the internet to you (websites, streaming platforms, services) treat all those bits and bytes the same. So an ISP (Internet or Broadband Service Provider) like Comcast does not view one type of data any differently than another. It never prioritizes information from one of its own services (NBC) over another (ABC, owned by Disney).
If those who control throughput have a political agenda, they cannot shut off the spigot of information for opposing viewpoints.
It’s a simple concept but one with huge impact. Free speech advocates argue that a neutral Internet is critical to maintaining a balance of voices and basic fairness.
But net neutrality has long been seen as an explanation for 1934 Chapter 2 of the Telecommunications Law, It promises “reasonable pricing and non-discriminatory behavior.” But it was written for phone companies, not broadband providers. The court essentially said that U.S. federal agencies like the FCC cannot simply reinterpret their own rules for more modern purposes.
As a result, broadband service providers were not affected by the Title II rules, and net neutrality did not pass regulatory requirements and is now invalid.
But efforts by the Biden administration to revive the effort have been stymied almost from the start. FCC votes to reinstate themwe have been operating in a world without net neutrality since 2017.
Here’s a summary of what I predict will happen:
- Good online content is over
- The End of Affordable Online Content
- End of independent online content
- Harder to find your favorite sites
- Broadband is slower
- ISPs control free and fair speech
what happened
Some of these things are already happening, but they have little to do with net neutrality. In fact, when I think about it, the worst changes in our online experience have less to do with ISPs (the so-called gatekeepers) and more to do with large and still unregulated tech companies.
GoogleFor example, is affecting the type of content you can find, especially on small independent sites, some of which Disappearing as I write this. Google isn’t a broadband provider, but it’s the primary way most people find content on the web, and it’s rapidly changing the game. Artificial intelligence snippets at the top of search results have pushed the site out of the frame where most of the original information resides. big sites like this new york times Can take this. Small sites, not so much.
content cost
Content has become more expensive, especially content that most of us provide Best Streaming Services. This has almost nothing to do with backbone costs being passed on by ISPs, and everything to do with fierce competition to satisfy our binge-watching needs with fresh content. There are plenty of streaming options out there, and platforms that don’t have hot new content worth watching will fail. extreme Streaming prices rise, Crack down on password sharingThe past decade has been marked by the proliferation of streaming platforms and the return of bundles.
The battle is to maintain subscriber growth at any cost (to themselves and you). Even if we had net neutrality, I believe it would have little impact on these trends.
Rethinking ISPs
Of all the technology players, ISPs appear to have the least power. Yes, they can price your broadband, but in most markets where there’s at least some competition (well, you usually have two options), they know they still have to offer it at an attractive price that’s usually locked in As fast as possible for a year or so.
The cable industry, in particular, has been disrupted by cable cutters who no longer pay for cable but still buy network access from the same companies. To their credit, ISPs have adapted and are happy to provide a platform where you can no longer watch cable or broadcast, but try watching a live boxing match on Netflix with 110 million of your friends. I haven’t seen evidence of throttling; instead, streamers Who is struggling to meet the crazy surge in demand? In the increasingly frequent live broadcast events.
Ten years ago, I was deeply concerned that an unregulated internet would stifle independent voices. But then again, ISPs are never the culprit. Instead, the job of regulating speech has been left to social media platforms, most of which do it poorly and are still struggling to do it well. Even new platforms like Bluesky find themselves The scramble to enforce reasonable speech controls.
Net neutrality won’t solve this problem
I realize there are bigger issues with our digital experience than the existence of net neutrality. In most cases, ISPs seem more interested in controlling our online experience than ensuring they don’t suffer losses Another major power outage.
I do believe in fairness and equality, but I think we are well past the stage of trying to rewrite old rules to meet modern needs. Instead, it’s time for someone, anyone, to enact real, broad regulation for the modern digital age. It can address overextended tech companies, harmful online content, affordable streaming, and baseline high-speed broadband for every citizen.
I have long believed that broadband is a human right. Can we provide global regulation that recognizes this once and for all?
I happily admit that I was wrong about net neutrality, and now let’s move forward and start delivering a truly fair Internet.