Net neutrality. It’s been here since 2015, protecting everyone’s rights over the internet with the help of president Barack Obama. Recently, though, FCC ( Federal Communications Commission ) chairman, Ajit Pai, has changed that, tearing through its existence.

To start, what is “net neutrality”? According to Wikipedia, net neutrality is “the principle that internet service providers must treat all data on the internet the same, and not discriminate or charge differently by user, content, website, platform, application, type of attached equipment, or method of communication.” To put it simply, it confirms that everyone has the same freedoms, and protects users from getting charged more or less. The extermination of net neutrality may be viewed as a great financial standpoint for some, however, many others feel the opposite.

In fact, those who oppose net neutrality have started petitions to oppose the subject, though these lists haven’t  seemed to help. As it stands, many locations, including schools and homes, pay for their internet just like everybody else. But they may be paying for something that’s not even worth it. With my own experience, schools don’t exactly have “the best” WiFi. They still pay for it though, and with net neutrality, they may pay more for something that’s not worth the price, wasting funds on faulty internet that could be better invested. 

The vote for net neutrality was on December 14th, and even though many people were, and still are, against the idea of having to pay more for their internet, we can still do something about. Protests can be created, or a boycott of WiFi use can ensue. Despite the vote popping up in December, things can still be done to end this materialization. In fact, since January 15th, senators are one vote shy from being able to send a “resolution of disapproval.” Hopefully, the senate are going to be the only ones that have to take action.