Net neutrality: a government power play or ensuring the right to privacy?
Connor Boulet, Staff Writer
FCC logo courtesy of Creative Commons
The Federal Communication Commission’s push to revoke net neutrality caused immediate backlash. Popular internet celebrities like Markiplier stand firm on their stance that pulling back net neutrality will give Internet Service Providers (ISPs) the right to pick and choose what websites their users should see and would reaffirm the stranglehold firms like Google have on the internet.
However, the Guardian writer Ben Jacobs indicates such an action stems from a desire to prevent unidentified political advertisements on Google and Facebook. With the story of alleged Russian interference in the election fresh in everyone’s mind, giving the FCC greater power of the Internet might make it easier for them to obligate Google and Facebook to the same rules television and radio follow. They would need to file a document that indicates who funds the political advertisements.
At the popular platforms’ current state, there stand arguably more opportunities for political information that’s either misleading or flat out dishonest. With proper oversight, the FCC believes such problematic advertisements would no longer be an issue, as they would be properly regulated.
The FCC’s desire to repeal net neutrality decisions from 2015 likely serve as an extension of that idea. If Internet Service Providers have the right to charge extra for or even outright block certain websites, they can further curb negative and harmful content from influencing people.
However, there lies a concern. What metric would ISPs use to determine what content is problematic or fine-worthy and what content is perfectly fine? Laws exist to curb the distribution of illicit content, but what if the content the FCC wishes to regulate merely extends to controversial political stances? The amount of power the FCC would hold were net neutrality to be repealed would mean many such actions could be done stealthily.
The concern of content creators on the internet is certainly valid. The question ultimately lies in how trustworthy the FCC is.
