What the Absence of Net Neutrality Means for Online Marketing On December 14th, 2017, the Federal Communication Commission building in Washington, D.C. was a flurry of activity. The reason? Net neutrality. Net neutrality is the principle that all legal online content should be accessible to consumers, without interference from internet service providers (ISPs). The fear of losing the net neutrality battle caused protestors to commemorate the site with a bouquet of flowers-a tribute to the death of internet freedom. While the absence of net neutrality probably won't cause the downfall of the entire broadband internet, it is bound to alter the way companies market their products to customers. What is Net Neutrality? Net neutrality is a …show more content…
With ISPs handling the output of content, they would be authorized to charge high-rate fees to companies. This may not be an issue for well-established, historically profitable companies, but for small startups and struggling companies, this practice would be detrimental. " Fast and Slow. If ISPs decide not to honor the self-imposed net neutrality principles, these companies could pick and choose which sites are in the "fast lane" and which are in the "slow lane". Who's at risk? Mainly, experts anticipate that groups in opposition to an ISP company's progress are in the hot seat. This could include the websites of political candidates, competitor companies, and other material the ISP deems unfavorable. " Competition. Since net neutrality is grounded in healthy competition, the digital marketing industry has thrived in recent years. Pay-per-click advertising, SEO, social-media campaigning, and AdWords have been on nearly every company's marketing strategy. Part of the success of the digital marketing's 80 billion dollar industry comes from the ability to not be hampered or stopped by internet service providers. Since future tampering is possible, it may reduce competition to the companies with the most income. In a Darwinian survival of the fittest state, young and unestablished companies may take the brunt of the absence of net