DECEMBER | #Netneutrality

On December 14, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to repeal net neutrality, the principle and underlying regulations by which Internet service providers must treat all data the same, without discriminating or charge differently by user, content, platform, application, type of equipment or method of communication, despite the fact that 83 percent of Americans opposed the repeal in a recent survey. This decision can very well be detrimental to web users as its potential effects could include slower Internet, higher consumer cost, paid prioritization and blocking content that is deemed inappropriate by Internet providers. And while the FCC insisted that the repeal is set to help customers and create competition, many critics view it as a major threat to the Internet as we know it and its users, highlighting the lack of competition among Internet providers. The #Netneutrality debate took Twitter by storm both before and after the vote, as countless users flocked to denounce the repeal and support the fight for an open internet, and does not seem to be over just yet given that many influential figures/organizations are pushing for the Congress to overturn the FCC'S decision.