The Battle For Internet Freedom Has Begun

From Esquire UK

"Information is the currency of democracy" Thomas Jefferson once said. The Founding Father and, later, third president of the United States staunchly defended public education and the free press as pillars of a democratic society.

Of course, Thomas Jefferson never had the internet. But if he had, we can assume he'd be in favour of this vehicle of information staying as free and open as possible. He'd almost certainly be a fan of net neutrality.

Net neutrality is nothing new. It is merely the principle that all internet traffic should be regarded as equal and internet service providers, like Virgin or Sky, must legally treat all data the same, whether this is streaming an episode or accessing an email. This means that all ISP addresses have an equal user experience and cannot pay high rates for a premium service at the expense others. As the Guardian explains, these laws "prevent broadband companies from charging more for internet "fast lanes" for certain content and from blocking or slowing certain content."

The reason the issue has caught people's attention now is because, 42 president after Jefferson, Donald Trump and the Federal Communication Commission branch of the US government have just released a plan to dismantle the very laws that protect neutrality, essentially handing your internet experience over to the highest bidder.

Supporters of net neutrality argue that it has been essential in creating the dynamic online industries we have today. Start-ups and small businesses are able to thrive because they aren't being bullied by bigger fish who are able to pay for a VIP service and hog the market.

Then there is freedom of speech - or in this case, freedom to click. As a recent article in New Statesman argued, net neutrality means, "we are free to browse and search and play online unencumbered. Our ISPs can't censor us, nor discriminate against our content, and everything is open and free."

The only winners from Trump's latest plans are big internet service providers and the businesses who can afford to squeeze competition from the market.

In reaction to the news, Reddit this week became a sea of red warning signs to readers at what repealing net neutrality laws could mean for the sneaker heads, sports fan and people yearning for cute kitty gifs, while Twitter users have been sharing mock-ups of to warn people what the costs might look like if the laws were repealed in America.