This week we learning a lot about media and the law. The two issues that stuck out to me were net neutrality and censorship. I know about these issues on a surface level but wanted to do more research for my blog post this week. These two subjects are very important when discussing media and the law.
What is net neutrality? According to Wired, net neutrality is an idea based on internet service providers treating all content equally. Because of net neutrality internet providers cannot censor or block certain content. They also cannot charge more for access to certain websites. In essence this keeps the internet as an open playing field for all. Net Neutrality is a term coined by Tim Wu , Columbia law professor, in 2003.
I think this topic is important because without regulations these internet providers can do whatever they want. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) under regulations must have internet delivered freely and openly. If we use the New York Time analogy you can think of certain websites as packages. Net neutrality ensures that all packages are delivered at the same rate. Without these regulations packages can be delivered at slower rates or not delivered at all.
What is censorship? According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) censorship is the suppression of words, images, and ideas. According to the article censorship can take place privately or by government. When the government participates in censorship it is unconstitutional. Our right to expression is protected by the First Amendment. Without these protections it is possible that our right to express freely may not exist. With that said the amendment does not protect obscenity in some media. There are many resources available at the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) for further reading.
Now that we know a little more about each subject we can tackle the question of why it should matter to us. Net neutrality is not just about keeping the internet neutral but is also addressing the issue of internet service providers becoming too powerful. The amount of ISP’s is shrinking and this is not necessarily a good thing according to Wired. When it comes to censorship I definitely enjoy my right to say what I like. I must afford others that same right even when I disagree with them.
I do plan to change the way I use my social media when it comes to these topics. As far as censorship I will continue to post what I like and use my voice to serve the causes important to me. I will respect other’s rights to do the same regardless of just how much I don’t understand or am offended by what they say. When it some to net neutrality I think the best thing we can do is support smaller internet service providers to help foster competition. This is important, as I mentioned before, so a handful of companies don’t take over everything and being too powerful. With all that said I hope you can understand why censorship and net neutrality are so important.
