Why Should Queers Care About Net Neutrality?

"Canada's telecom regulator released its much-anticipated net neutrality decision in October, but some say the new framework doesn't go quite far enough.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) finally acknowledged that the big telecom companies have been throttling the net by tossing specific internet traffic onto the slow lane. After years of a free-for-all policy vacuum in cyberspace, the CRTC is beginning to challenge the big telecom's self-appointed role as gatekeepers on what is supposed to be a free and open internet.

The CRTC's new rules for internet service providers (ISPs), if enforced, will enhance transparency by requiring service providers to disclose when they engage in internet traffic management, what content is being throttled and by how much. In a completely free and open internet, ISPs would deliver packets of data blindly.

In its decision, the CRTC also banned the use of personal information obtained through traffic management practices. The CRTC also stated that service providers ought to prioritize investments in broadband expansion and to engage in economic measures — such as billing higher users more — before considering discriminatory traffic management practices.

Justin Stayshyn, a techie with a huge following on Twitter (@UnionSt), says queers should keep a close eye on the issue of net neutrality."

To read more, please visit Xtra.ca.