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McClatchy is Not Neutral on Net Neutrality

Net Neutrality is the concept that internet service providers (ISPs) should not be able to charge users for connection to any websites or internet services in the way that cabe providers charge users for access to certain channels like HBO. The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) had enforced net neutrality policies since 2015, but on December 14 they voted to end them.

Chairman Pai has argued that net neutrality policies are unnecessary, and that they limit the growth of the ISP industry.

If net neutrality is removed, internet companies would be able to charge websites for higher internet speeds. This could increase the price of internet-based services like Netflix, and significantly harm smaller sites like Reddit that can’t pay for higher speeds. ISPs could even potentially block access to sites arbitrarily.

A pre-vote poll conducted by The Prospector shows that CKM students are strong supporters of net neutrality. When asked if they thought the FCC should repeal Net Neutrality, 59 of the 68 students polled said “no.” Of the remaining students, 3 said “yes,” and 6 said they didn’t care. When I asked the same 68 students if they were concerned about the upcoming net neutrality vote, 50 said “yes,” 4 said “no,” and 11 said they didn’t care.

This poll shows not only that the majority of McClatchy students support Net Neutrality, but that many were worried about the outcome of the December 14 vote.

In the years leading up to 2015, the actions of many ISPs led the FCC to adopt the net neutrality policies we have today. In 2007, Comcast was found to be “throttling” BitTorrent file sharing, and then actually sued the FCC when they tried to intervene. In 2012, AT&T restricted use of the app FaceTime on some data plans.

In general, the plan to repeal net neutrality is supported by large ISP companies like Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon. Those in favor of net neutrality include internet-based businesses like Amazon, Microsoft, and Twitter.

Net neutrality might not seem like an issue that can have a huge effect on McClatchy students. However, the truth is that we use the internet for almost everything, and the repeal of net neutrality could have a profound effect on our lives.

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