Net Neutrality: Don't take our freedom away!

Net neutrality refers to “non-discriminatory treatment of traffic” (Save Our Net.ca). In other words, this means that all information accessed on the web is treated equally. It is all delivered as quickly as possible by the company who has published/ posted the information. Because of net neutrality, internet users are able to use any content, application or service on the web without interference from the provider. The job of the network provider is simply to move the information; not to choose how efficiently the data is transferred based on its content (Save Our Net.ca).

Debates regarding net neutrality are taking place on an ongoing basis. Internet Service Providers feel that network usage should be monitored and controlled. They feel that certain information and sites on the web should be accessed at a higher speed than others. ISP’s wish to have control over user activity, however, after having so much freedom on the web, would this really work for users? Some may think so. Some may feel that more “useful” sites will run more efficiently, whereas “useless” sites will not be as efficient. Maybe they feel that this will increase productivity. It is my belief that net neutrality is something to be valued, as it gives users the freedom to access any information at a standard pace.

Lawrence Lessig, in his book entitled Free Culture, says “Through legislation, litigation and changes to the network’s design, copyright holders have been able to change the essential character of the environment of the original internet. The architecture and law that surround the internet’s design will increasingly produce an environment where all use of content requires permission... this is a creator’s nightmare” (Lessig , 277). This quotation describes the future of the internet without net neutrality. Without network neutrality , the internet will become a place of constant restriction, rather than freedom.



Works Cited
Lessig, Lawrence. Free Culture. New York: Penguin Books, 2004.
Save Our Net.ca. 5 November 2009 .