Pros And Cons Of Net Neutrality

88.5% of Americans are internet users. (Internet Users by Country (2016). Internet Users by Country (2016) - Internet Live Stats, 1 July 2016). The internet is being used more than ever today and has come a long way since its release decades ago. It is used for common things such as looking up a recipe, doing some research for a school project, or talking to friends on social media. For a short period of time, the United States had internet principles called Net Neutrality. To keep the internet fair, net neutrality should be overturned. Explaining why it was originally there and why it should stay so it could remain the same while also understanding why it was repealed in the end. Recently, it was repeal to a 3-2 vote by the FCC.

The decision to have it repealed has caused massive backlash and has caused protests across the country. There is different reasons for support and non-support of it. One of the most common reasons that it is not supported is because it gives internet providers the opportunity to create bundles of websites and charge people for access (Mak, Aaron. “Does Losing Net Neutrality Really Mean the End of the Internet?” New Scientist, 15 Dec. 2017 ) and it restricts freedom of expression (“13 Pros and Cons of Net Neutrality.” Vittana.org, 31 May 2017.) One reason why it is supported is because they do not want the government to control the internet (x). Whether it is overruled or the repeal stays the same, it does have its pros and cons. There is pros of having it and not having it. There is also cons of having it and not having it. Overall, net neutrality is an issue that does not necessarily have crystal clear solutions. It is more paying more attention to the details and what could happen if the United States

Since then the term has been used. The proceeding of net neutrality started in October of 2009, almost a year after Barack Obama won the presidency. It took a little over five years for it to go into full effect. (x) until it was officially set by the Obama administration in February of 2015. The overview of the principles were that the internet must be treated equally. ISPs, internet service providers, were not allowed to slow down, speed up, or block any websites regardless if they were well known or small. (Collins, Keith. “Why Net Neutrality Was Repealed and How It Affects You.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 14 Dec. 2017) On December 14th 2017, it was announced that the FCC, the Federal Communications Commision, repealed net neutrality. With this in place ISPs are now allowed to do what they want with the internet. The only requirement they need to follow is they need to announce what they plan on blocking. (Fung, Brian. “The FCC Just Voted to Repeal Its Net Neutrality Rules, in a Sweeping Act of Deregulation.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 14 Dec. 2017) Out of five voters, three voted for the repeal and two voted against it. This decision caused nationwide controversy. Many citizens and celebrities have expressed disapproval. Prior to the ruling, there has been a large amount of encouragement to stop it from being repealed. Even after the ruling, there is encouragement to