Benefits Of Net Neutrality

Contribution to general welfare is another benefit society enjoys as a result of an open Internet. While this can be done in many ways, one way Net Neutrality does this is by protecting freedoms. “Discussions among legal experts, communication scholars, and political scientists emphasize human rights, political freedoms, and creative freedoms as important rationales for policies in support of an open Internet” (Bauer, 2014, p. 5). Human rights such as freedom of speech are protected by Net Neutrality, no matter if someone wants to talk about their day, or their political views. In addition to freedom of speech, Net Neutrality protects the right to access that speech (Cano, 2016). People don’t need to worry about expressing their opinion and

One benefit is a direct result of a fault of Net Neutrality: there is increased exposure to cyber threats. However, this exposure promotes the innovation of better “safety, security, privacy, and reliability of the Internet upon which so many now depend” (Cerf, 2016, p. 1). Other benefits can be seen economically. Innovation, promoted by Net Neutrality, “will improve and benefit the economy as a whole, creating growth, expansion, and new economic opportunities (Cano, 2016, p. 19). In addition to that, “because businesses can sell and transact with people all over the world, the need for labor, manufacturing, and ideas increases to levels not possible before” (Cano, 2016, p. 19). These economic benefits are clearly illustrated in a recent study: “Dalberg Global Development Advisors found a strong correlation between Internet openness in a given country and the degree to which that country’s economy has benefited from the Internet” (Cano, 2016, p. 25). Economic benefits can be largely attributed to ecommerce, which has grown very popular due to the “ease of transactions, lowering of transaction costs, and the ability to compare prices and find and purchase from competing businesses” (Cano, 2016, p. 25). Ecommerce has become such an economic force, that “if the Internet were a country, it would be one of ‘the world’s top five economies’” (Cano, 2016, p.