The Issue of Net Neutrality

        Barbara Van Schewick is a professor at Stanford Law School and the director of the Stanford Law School Center for Internet and Society, as well as an expert on net neutrality. Schewick articulated her opinion on the issue of net neutrality in her op-ed article Is the Internet about to get sloooooow? In the article Schewick argues that should the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allow internet providers to divide the bandwidth they provide to specific websites, they would limit the innovation, communication, and political action which the internet provides to its users worldwide.
        Net neutrality is a principle that has protected the freedom and value of the internet to its users, and prevented the discrimination of internet sites and users from internet providers, and is one that must remain intact. Net neutrality is supported by the 'open internet' rules set by the FCC in 2010 which prevent web providers from playing favorites. Without net neutrality web providers such as AT&T and Comcast would have the ability to provide 'fast lane' access, meaning much faster speeds of use to those who visit the site, at extra charges to these websites. This would of course be nothing to the giants of the net such as Facebook or Google, but smaller independent sites would be left behind having to make ends meet with much slower bandwidths for their users. This net hierarchy where the bigger websites have all the speed destroys all chance and purpose for smaller independent web developers to bring life to their ideas because they would be unable to compete with the already established giants who would dominate the net. Already established small websites such as forum sites or sites dedicated to the sharing of music or art, which far outnumber the already established giants, would have no chance to grow or compete and it would even affect the millions upon millions of people who frequent the huge number of websites falling under this category since they would not be able to enjoy some of their favorite websites. Chat sites or websites dedicated to specific interests through which members can meet others who share in their passions would also be robbed of the ability to provide their users with tolerable loading speeds, limiting the freedom and possibility of communication which these sites provide. Independent musicians, artists, film-makers, writers, web and game designers as well as all other types of people who have or depend on websites to share their creations would lose the possibility to do so taking away from their ability to share their talents and the ability of the world to enjoy it. Net neutrality is a principle that must remain active, its absence would not only limit the freedom of all web users to enjoy their favorite websites with ease, but also the ability of these websites to create an enjoyable memorable experience to these very patrons. It would destroy the great opportunities for communication and expression which make the internet such an incredible invention and possibly one of the greatest humanity has ever produced.