Is repealing net neutrality undemocratic?

The Internet came together as a miracle, really. Anyone with a wire can publish, we need to keep it that way – Barry Diller

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. The way the removal of net neutrality works is that certain ISPs can charge extra to some websites/platforms to get their data faster to the viewers while those who don’t pay , their data will be transmitted slower. The ISP (Internet Service Provider) can decide which content its users will see and which they don’t. This diagram below explains the barrier that the removal of net neutrality puts up.

Credits- Dictionary.com

In a democracy, everyone has equal access to everything. A post office can not let only the rich people in and neither can a restaurant stop the poor people. So what net neutrality offered was that everyone having any internet connection has equal access to all the content. Now since that’s gone, the ISP can prevent its users from accessing certain parts of the internet. Immediately, this won’t have any stark effect. But in the long run, it will deny equal access to the internet. The majority of the internet users live in areas with only one ISP or one ISP providing high-speed internet. Most of these ISP’s are well established with large connections and that will be able to fill their pockets while their user suffers.

This means that not everyone will have equal access to the internet. Only the rich and privileged will have the opportunity to change their ISP and make sure that they don’t suffer but the common man living in a place with barely one ISP is in trouble. Even though it’s not the government that is giving unequal access to the internet, but it is giving the rich multi-million dollar corporations the power to do so. The average man will no longer have control over what he sees and neither will he be able to see anything he wants. Net neutrality is the very spirit of internet democracy and its removal is not only a cause of concern for the people but also an opportunity to contemplate on their electoral decisions.

Credits – latimes.com