Forums » Smalltalk » Net Neutrality is in danger.

America, Net Neutrality is being threatened, and if this law passes to get rid of it, we are all in trouble. Comcast, Verizon, Time Warner Cable and AT%T want to tax, and control the internet.

In 2014, Net Neutrality was threatened resulting in an internet wide protest that ended up stopping the law from passing.

See here for more info: https://www.battleforthenet.com/how-we-won/

Now in 2017, it's being threatened, again.

This is what US Internet might look like soon if nothing is done:



Note: The above image is Portugal, which has no Net Neutrality.

Comprehensive video on the subject:


Reddit thread with TONS of info: https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/7ek4q6/join_the_battle_for_net_neutrality_net_neutrality/

Contact the FCC now: https://www.fcc.gov/about/contact

Contact your senators: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?OrderBy=state

Contact your representatives: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

The rules go up for a vote next month, on December 14th.

Good luck for the vote next month!

The loss of net neutrality will have the potential to hugely impact the RPR. I am definitely calling my reps on a daily basis.

Disclaimer: I do not pretend to know the fine details of everything that the end of Net Neutrality would bring about. I can, however, speak from experience regarding the company MEO and the misleading picture that I've seen posting everywhere as an example of what the internet looks like in Portugal.

Net Neutrality is indeed important and one of the things we need to fight for. As a non-US resident, there is not much I can do about it, but I wish you people the best in this fight, as it will have repercussions all over the world.

However, I also feel the need to clarify that the Portugal picture that has been circulating everywhere online is extremely misleading. Portugal is a member of the EU, and the EU has laws protecting Net Neutrality. The picture does not represent "modular" Internet subscriptions as one would think. What it does represent is the option to increase the limit of traffic for certain types of phone apps. Even then, Anacom, the regulator responsible for enforcing Net Neutrality in Portugal, has already announced that it is investigating whether these packages infringe upon it or not.

This is the original picture, parts of it having been strategically edited out:


You will notice the tab selected is called "Pacotes com Telemóvel", which means "Cellphone Packages". This is a mobile data service for your phone, not what all Internet looks like. The company MEO offers several plans for wifi and Fiber, most of them unlimited and absolutely identical to the ones we see in the US and UK. Having lived in Portugal for a long time, and having been an avid user of the Internet there for just as long, from a pure casual user standpoint there hasn't been much difference at all since I moved to the UK.

Of course, I am not saying the death of Net Neutrality in the US wouldn't be terrible. Those who are in a place to do so need to fight for Net Neutrality the best they can, but misleading people with inaccurate information to get them to take action is not the way to go about it.

Note: this post was edited to amend some wrong information.

Thanks for the help updating everything so the infomation is correct. I really appreciate it so thanks and Ill be more careful of where I get my info next time.

No problem. Keep on spreading awareness and fighting the good fight!

Thanks very much for that Seraphic!

Unfortunately the FCC has announced blatantly that unless your comment sent to them was worded in legal terms and presented a new argument, they completely ignored it, and that consumer input is really not on their mind.

That is to say, they point blank said they ignored any form letters sent to them. (Of which I believe there were more than a few million)

Hell no we won't...uh...pay? I mean, if this thing goes through, I'm just gonna stop using the internet entirely...no offense, but I will not pay just to use some websites that I actively check...

The problem is there are a ton of people who would.

Here's something relevant.

https://fee.org/articles/goodbye-net-neutrality-hello-competition/?utm_source=zapier&utm_medium=facebook

Copied from Reddit on another way you can help and get in contact with the people in charge.


ResistBot is the most efficient way to contact your Senators, Reps, Governor, and the President.
Text "resist" to "504-09” to Fight for Net Neutrality

They will ask for your name and other info to contact your respective state officials via fax, letters, and email.

Here is a great message you can send:

"Net Neutrality is the cornerstone of innovation, free speech and democracy on the Internet.

Control over the Internet should remain in the hands of the people who use it every day. The ability to share information without impediment is critical to the progression of technology, science, small business, and culture.

Please stand with the public by protecting Net Neutrality once and for all."

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Tbh this lowkey scares me,,

Wow hearing about Net Neutrality brings me back back in High School/Middle School I did a presentation on Net Neutrality using the video(credit was given) called the Death of the Internet that was back in like 05-07 I think.
Although I'm Canadian I know that Net Neutrality would probably affect us Canadians too not just the US should it fall

Corporate greed is the bane of our existence. Also, a similar scenario happened back in 2012 which /thankfully/ didn't come to pass. Does anyone remember SOPA? (Sopa Online Piracy Act)

Also, this is their theme song.

This is pretty scary

Look at it all this way. If this law passes, they will loose 90% of the income they get from the people paying for Internet every month. I do also agree that this is a violation of the amendment for free speech, but once they loose money, or see that it will be to much of a loss, they will drop it in general if they are smart.

We already pay for the damn Internet, Why in the hell would we pay to pay for sites too?

I hate the whole situation so much honestly. There are like ten days or so til they vote and I'm getting more anxious as the days go by. The whole thing is kinda stupid, anyway; there are plenty of sites that are not well known that are businesses, and they're not going to be able to compete among the internet without net neutrality. Sayonara, actual capitalism, the thing that every single legislator claims to be supporting w this.

They won't lose a dime, and the ISPs know this. People will never cancel their internet subscriptions.



If anything they'll get more money by forcing people into upgrading their package.

I am really nervous about this, but, at least I get my internet through a service that is against going against net neutrality as far as I know. Hopefully they don't just, pull the rug out from under me if things change. Regardless, I know I wouldn't be paying $20 something extra a month just to visit specific sites. Espeically when Netflix is already a subscription, as is Youtube Red. Each of those are $20 combined for me already. So I'd be paying an extra $10-$12 just to use two apps I already pay a monthly subscription for? Plus more to use tumblr, and facebook, and skype. Which is just ridiculous. I already pay money to skype for credits. -_-

I am glad books are cheap nowadays, because I'll be getting a lot more to fill my time. RPR would be what I missed the most though if I couldn't use it without paying extra. Espeically since I am a epic member, so I already pay, but the differences is my money now goes to Kim, where as my extra money spent would go to companies who don't even need the freakin' money.

I will be up by the seat of my pants to somehow sway the vote for sure.