Tuesday, Sept. 10 was Internet Slowdown Day, devoted to advocating the idea of an open Internet. Major tech behemoths like Netflix, Twitter and Reddit helped paint a dark picture of the Web’s potential future by participating. What users saw was a Web that contradicted the essence of online communication. A Web that forced companies to pay to transmit information, one where Internet Service Providers regulated traffic with roadblocks and most importantly, one that completely violated the First Amendment.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler recently refused to let ISPs slow down traffic, however Washington is still debating the idea that superior levels of service can be offered for an additional price1. Opponents of net neutrality fail to understand that either way you look at it, you are still creating a “fast lane” and a “slow lane” for Internet traffic2, which prevents the democratization of information.   The idea that all data is equal is what makes the Internet so powerful. Companies like Netflix and Twitter would not suffer without net neutrality, but the Web’s ability to foster entrepreneurship would be severely diminished. It empowers the individual to create and share content with nothing interfering. It allows for toddlers named Charlie who have a craving for fingers to become just as recognizable as a Hollywood superstar. Most importantly, it creates a level playing field that allows all of us to contribute to the collective intelligence of our species.

Knowing this, it seems unspeakable to put hurdles in the way of the average user. Unfortunately, major ISPs are able to fund lobbying campaigns to get their word across to officials in Washington. But the fight is far from over. I urge the Syracuse University community to have their voice heard in this pivotal issue. Contact your representative here and your one at home and voice your concern for the Internet’s future. ISPs can lobby all they want but ultimately, a Congressional vote is the deciding factor.

This is not an issue that should divide the rich from the poor, this is one that is questioning who the government works for, and the answer should be obvious. If net neutrality loses, it would be the government serving the highest bidder, a corporation who could then easily monopolize the open Internet we know and love. It’s called the World Wide Web for a reason. Do not let one or two corporations seize control of it.

Rohan Krishnan
Syracuse University Class of 2017
S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications