Losing net neutrality would erode the open platform the Internet was designed to be

 

A federal court ruling is expected any day now that's all but certain to kill net neutrality, and destroy transform the internet as we know it. For the worse.

 

So, in case you've fallen behind on the status of the debate, or if your eyes have always glazed over at the mere sight of the words 'net neutrality', here's a brief refresher on the stakes: Without the current government regulations requiring internet providers to give equal treatment to all websites, cable companies and telecom giants would be free to play favorites and essentially dole out the web per their whims or financial interests, slapping tolls on the internet superhighway we cruise everyday.

 

The service providers are arguing that as private companies, the government has no right to regulate how to operate their business. But internet freedom advocates—or any web user in their right mind—argue that while that's technically true, those companies are also the gatekeepers of today's information economy, and what's at stake outweighs their pitch. Losing net neutrality would erode the open platform the internet was designed to be; if ISPs hold the keys to who gets to use the web and how, there goes the level playing field.

 

The US appeals court for DC is considering whether to strike down the FCC rules implemented in 2010 that ensure a neutral web, and the court has indicated it's very likely to do just that. It may all sound like a bunch of wonky policy talk, but the effects would be quite real for anyone that spends time online. Here are some of the major ways the decision to strike down net neutrality would change the internet.

 

Read more at Motherboard.