In the wake of the Federal Communications Commission's vote Thursday to dismantle its net neutrality rules, there's been a lot of talk about how the move will destroy the free and open nature of the internet.
I'm not going to dismiss such concerns. But I think they ignore a bigger problem — the biggest technology companies were already threatening the openness of the internet, and the repeal of net neutrality is only going to make the situation worse.
The internet today looks a lot different than it did in its early days. It's now dominated by a small handful of large tech companies that arguably have more power than the internet providers that the FCC regulated under its net neutrality rules. Facebook, Google, Netflix, and Amazon wield immense control over how we interact with others, get our entertainment, consume news, and shop. Chances are if you experience something online, you're likely doing it through or by way of one of those Big Tech companies.
Those companies' power has grown almost unabated, thanks in large part due to the open nature of the internet. Now, the end of regulations designed to keep the internet open are likely to cement their dominance.
The net neutrality provisions barred broadband providers from block, slowing, or giving preferred treatment to particular sites and services. The repeal of those rules will allow the providers to do things they basically haven't been able to do before, which will likely mean fewer choices and higher prices for you and me.
I'm not going to dismiss such concerns. But I think they ignore a bigger problem — the biggest technology companies were already threatening the openness of the internet, and the repeal of net neutrality is only going to make the situation worse.
The internet today looks a lot different than it did in its early days. It's now dominated by a small handful of large tech companies that arguably have more power than the internet providers that the FCC regulated under its net neutrality rules. Facebook, Google, Netflix, and Amazon wield immense control over how we interact with others, get our entertainment, consume news, and shop. Chances are if you experience something online, you're likely doing it through or by way of one of those Big Tech companies.
Those companies' power has grown almost unabated, thanks in large part due to the open nature of the internet. Now, the end of regulations designed to keep the internet open are likely to cement their dominance.
The net neutrality provisions barred broadband providers from block, slowing, or giving preferred treatment to particular sites and services. The repeal of those rules will allow the providers to do things they basically haven't been able to do before, which will likely mean fewer choices and higher prices for you and me.
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