Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Net Neutrality


Net Neutrality is the principle that Internet Service providers and governments should treat all data on the Internet equally; basically meaning, that internet providers cannot charge more to have their websites run faster while their competition runs slower.  The internet is a carrier of online content that does not distinguish one website from another; it is the internet service provider’s responsibility to make sure all websites are running at the same speed the rest of them are.
The government has no authority to implement this policy.  It cannot be regulated.  If we regulate the internet provider’s speed, the companies would fold because none would be successful, it would become federalized.  According to JudgeAndrew Napolitano, “Today the FCC does little else but regulate as much electronic communication it can.  You have the right to know that the First Amendment makes the FCC unconstitutional.  Think about it.  The FCC regulates content.  It tells broadcasters what to say, but the first amendment guarantees the right to free speech.  If speech were truly free, why would we need an unnecessary intrusive and unconstitutional government agency to oversee the distribution of speech?”  The FCC was started for radio, so broadcasters knew what they were able to say on air and what they were not able to say, not for regulating something that should not be apart of the government.
 My personal policy is to leave the internet as it has been since the beginning.  Do not disturb something that has worked so well in the past.  However, there are some certain websites that should be kept the same speed for any internet service provider that your household or company chooses to sign an agreement with.  Websites that should be kept at the same speed should be state, government and educationally run sites that hold a higher importance then for instance social media.  Keep the internet free of the government.

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