The Internet is used by millions everyday. With so many people using one open platform, a question arises. Should the government regulate the Internet or leave it to the people? Regulation according to Webster Dictionary is defined as, “a rule or order issued by an executive authority or regulatory agency of a government and having the force of law,” The regulatory agency in this case is the Federal Communications Commission. They, by classification, are in charge of the Internet for Americans. In any case, both sides of the argument are supported by millions. However, the Internet should be regulated due to user security, net neutrality, and data collecting.
The Internet should be regulated to protect the security of Internet users. Recently
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The definition of Net Neutrality is that individual users and company based users all get the same access, all users can go anywhere, anytime. Before June of 2015 companies could prevent certain companies from using their platforms, which blocked their customers from viewing their content. Internet Service Providers provided high speed fast lanes to those who paid more as well, which slowed down daily user’s connection. In June the Federal Communications Commission banned the use of blocking and throttling to provide open access to all users through any platform (“Open Internet”). The newly made regulations gave equal access to everyone. Comcast could no longer block Netflix, or provide Hulu a fast lane. This regulation is an example of working regulations put on the Internet. The effect of these rules show that regulations can work, “The Internet’s openness has radically transformed all kinds of industries, from food delivery to finance, by lowering the barriers to entry. It has allowed a few bright engineers or students with an idea to launch a business that would be immediately available all over the world to over a billion potential customers. Start-ups do not need the leverage and bank accounts of Apple or Google to get reliable service to reach their users. In fact, historically, they have not paid any arbitrary fees to providers to reach users,” (Ammori). The quote comes to show that young entrepreneurs …show more content…
Security and privacy will be more enhanced to be better equipped for the consumer. Net Neutrality will provide fairness between individual users and company based users. Collecting private data will be limited, and inform consumers of breaches. Regulation can provide endless possibilities for an open Internet.
Works Cited
Ammori, Marvin. “The Case for Net Neutrality.” Foreign Affairs. Council of Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2014. 23 February 2017.
Beckett, Lois. "Everything We Know About What Data Brokers Know About You." ProPublica. Pro Publica Inc., 8 July 2014. 15 February 2017.
Berniner, Daniel. "The Collateral Damage of FCC Internet Regulation." Washington Examiner. MediaDC, 11 June 2015. 13 March 2017.
Duncan, Geoff. “Can the Government Regulate Internet Privacy?” Digital Trends. Designtechnica Corporation, 18 April 2014. 7 February 2017.
Kaplan, Eben. "Terrorists and the Internet." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, 08 January 2009. 16 February 2017.
"Open Internet." Federal Communications Commission. Federal Communications
Although the net neutrality debate didn’t come into the spot light so long ago, it has sparked controversy in the communications world. This concept provides a positive impact to the consumers, competition and network owners/internet service providers. It broadens the aspect of equality, which the open Internet was first based on. The profound effects on the aforementioned players provide a supported purpose to regulate the notion of net neutrality.
Schmidt, E. E., & Cohen, J. (2014, March 11). The Future of Internet Freedom. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from
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Net Neutrality in the Internet Access Service, is a a set of regulations to ensure better information for users and dealers and prohibit arbitrarily block, interfere, discriminate, hinder or restrict the right of any Internet user to use, send, receive or offer any content, application or legal service through the web as well as any other activity or use made legal through the network. The internet as a common carriers means that rather than offering customer more individualized services, they offer their services to everyone under the same terms, in a non-discriminatory basis and with no paid prioritization. Proponents of network neutrality considered necessary to translate the principle of non-discrimination to the new reality, imposing certain limitations on those managing Internet infrastructure to prevent harmful situations for the general well being. The Internet is a basic infrastructure of modern society, its greatest virtue lies in the indirect effects it has as a source of positive externalities for the economy and society as a whole. The Internet is nothing more than a set of interconnected private networks, and network access a "service" or a
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