Quinn Hecker

Professor Markwardt

WRT 205

7/15/18

Unit 3 Written Text Draft

The Net Neutrality act is a principle that “Internet service providers and governments

regulating the Internet should treat all data on the Internet the same;” this is done without

discrimination or “charging differentially by user, content, website, platform, application, type of

attached equipment, or mode of communication.” The idea of net neutrality has been simplified

by many to, “my electron stream is as important as anyone’s electron stream”. The idea that an

individual has as much right to speed and data as a government agency in a time of emergency

has been used as an argument against net neutrality. In order to preserve the equality of the

internet, we must protect Net Neutrality.

What was just passed is paid prioritization, also known as “fast lanes.” Paid prioritization is a

financial arrangement in which the owner of the content pays the provider to “cut to the front of

the line” where the the nodes are congested or where a broadband provider engages in “vertical

prioritization” by favoring its own content. In his article, “Net Neutrality Has Officially Been

Repealed. Here's How That Could Affect You”, Keith Collins states, “without rules prohibiting

paid prioritization, a fast lane could be occupied by big internet and media companies, as well as

affluent households, while everyone else would be left in the slow lane.” Collins along with

various other members of the opposition, discuss “that the repeal would open the door for service

providers to censor content online or charge additional fees for better service - something that