Introduction
Net neutrality is the principle that providers of various telecommunications services should not give preference to one specific destination. In other words, providers should treat all Internet traffic, which includes messages, data, and various files, equally. In this context, in order for the Internet to function most effectively and successfully, all content must be evaluated equally. Certainly, the issue of net neutrality has many advantages and disadvantages. Looking at the pros and cons in more detail, it becomes possible to determine that net neutrality still provides freedom of speech within the content. Thus, maintaining and protecting net neutrality is critical to preserve the freedom of content on the Internet.
Freedom of Speech
Net neutrality preserves the freedom of speech on the Internet by prohibiting the blocking of certain content. In view of this, it becomes possible to assume that in the absence of this concept, providers will be able to slow down or block websites that they do not like everywhere. This becomes especially dangerous in times of political races, as TV channels and websites will gain the ability to eliminate competitors who disagree with their political views (Becker & Bode, 2018). In this vein, former President Barack Obama stated that the open Internet is one of the main influences of democracy, which allows us to protect freedom of speech (Pickard & Berman, 2019). Moreover, since the content is publicly available within the framework of a free Internet and net neutrality, the level of education increases. Thus, neither the state nor private companies can control what information the user receives. This leads to the fact that the above actors do not influence the ideological component of the content and do not impose their own principles. Thus, net neutrality is one of the main defenders of human rights to the expression of thought.
Preventing ISP Control
Among other things, net neutrality does not allow the largest Internet service providers to control the market for the purpose of enrichment. It guarantees that the provider will not be able to block a site at its discretion, slow down access to it or demand additional money from the user for using a particular resource. Net neutrality also prevents providers from entering into separate deals with corporate giants so that their information flows move faster. Thus, the network market remains open and accessible to everyone who wants to join it. In other words, the Internet cannot be completely controlled by giants like Google. Net neutrality guarantees freedom and a level playing field for both big players and startups. It is for this reason that net neutrality remains critical for both new and emerging companies.
Disadvantages
Despite the above advantages of net neutrality, there is a number of disadvantages. In this context, the Internet has quite deep roots and for a long time functioned without any rules. In turn, this has led to the emergence of highly successful companies on the market that make a certain contribution to the US economy. In 2015, the Obama administration passed a special law on the neutral Internet (Hooton, 2020). Prior to this law, Internet service providers were free in their actions, which led to their enrichment. However, the neutrality rules impose some burden on ISPs, which must prove that the guidelines are being followed. Thus, representatives of various Internet service providers claim that with the advent of this law, they have more additional work, and the level of income has decreased (Hooton, 2020). Finally, providers lost the right to regulate pricing in the network market, which also led to significant losses.
Nevertheless, net neutrality leads to a reduction in investment flows in Internet services. Thus, for example, during discussion on the rules of neutrality, the investment of Internet service providers was significantly reduced due to the possible threat. Moreover, net neutrality rules prohibit providers from charging fees from streaming sites that would help cover the cost of more bandwidth. In turn, providers must create additional capacity and increase their costs. Despite the fact that ISPs are forced to suffer losses, ordinary users suffer more from this (Becker & Bode., 2018). This fact is due to the fact that large expenses are offset by more expensive Internet packages, which are paid for by almost every citizen.
Conclusion
In conclusion, evaluating all the above pros and cons regarding net neutrality, it becomes possible to draw several conclusions. The Free Internet Act in the United States allowed the network to function more freely. This in turn led to a greater democratization of the Internet and the development of freedom of speech. Internet service providers could not control the speed and quality of various content, and accordingly could not give preference to one or another provider. Moreover, users have gained the ability to consume more information without fear that the state controls it at its discretion. However, considering the impact of net neutrality on the ISPs themselves, it becomes possible to note some drawbacks. The reduction in investment flows has led to the fact that the role of providers in the market has become more limited. Moreover, the ISP’s income began to decline significantly, and expenses steadily increased. Despite this, for ordinary Internet users, net neutrality is more beneficial, since their actions are almost unlimited. Thus, net neutrality in the Internet and media space must be restored and protected.
References
Becker, A. B., & Bode, L. (2018). Satire as a source for learning? The differential impact of news versus satire exposure on net neutrality knowledge gain. Information, Communication & Society, 21(4), 612-625.
Hooton, C. A. (2020). Testing the economics of the net neutrality debate. Telecommunications Policy, 44(5), 1-19.
Pickard, V., & Berman, D. E. (2019). After net neutrality. Yale University Press.