Everything You Need to Know About Net Neutrality
Did the internet feel a little broken last week? While the term "net neutrality" may elicit the same effect as as taking a Tylenol PM, yesterday it got some serious star power behind it. Silicon Valley celebs from over 40 tech companies like Facebook, Google, Reddit, Netflix, and Pornhub rallied to inform the masses of the dangers of net neutrality rules being removed.
The imminent threat to net neutrality has the potential to seriously affect each and every one of our daily lives, and we should all be informed of the consequences (just ask John Oliver). How and why, you ask? Let's start from the very beginning:
What exactly is net neutrality?
According to the Internet Association, "strong net neutrality rules give people the power to choose which websites and apps are best." In other words, they essentially keep the internet free, as we know it. A rollback of these rules will give Internet Service Providers (ISPs) the power to prioritize the sites and apps you visit every day: slowing them, speeding them, or blocking them altogether. Your ISP could even choose to slow down or censor websites that opt out of paying extra fees to be prioritized. Website you really, really love. Like Netflix. Or Hulu. Or Digg. Or, y'know, Pornhub.
On the other hand, ISPs could also choose to charge individuals like you and me extra fees to access sites that typically use more data. (Again, think streaming services and GoT.) Worse, they could potentially manipulate your internet access to push their own business agenda like proprietary cable services, news sites, email services, etc.
What the heck was "The Day of Action"?
Led by the aforementioned tech giants, The Day of Action was an effort to make pro net neutrality sentiments heard by the FCC. From posting on social media to posting homepage banners to requesting users reach out themselves, The Day of Action succeeded in drawing much needed attention to the issue.
How can you get involved?
All signs point to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai initiating a rollback of net neutrality regulations later this summer, and a singular day of action may not be enough to stop it. If you like free internet, you can give the FCC a piece of your mind, by clicking here and then clicking "+ Express" to send a message.
If you really want to make things complicated for your ISP, you may choose to start using a VPN when you surf the web. Employing a VPN, like Disconnect, allows you to bypass the throttling and censorship efforts that could be put forth by your ISP. Disconnect routes your mobile and desktop internet traffic through a private server, encrypting your every move from the prying eyes of your ISP and cyber criminals alike.
Perhaps best of all, VPNs just make things incredibly inconvenient for your ISP (especially when it comes to selling your data to ad marketers). And who doesn't love that? You can download Disconnect on up to three of your devices and use it for life for just $49. That's 90% off the going price of $500.
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