Pay to Play Internet: The Threat is Real!

Have you ever heard of Network Neutrality? You will be hearing that term a lot in the next few years to come. It is the internet’s first amendment, and congress is currently pushing a law that would abandon Network Neutrality. Major companies would then own the internet, and it could become a huge, biased advertising tool. For instance, dominant internet providers such as AT&T could be paid by a new search engine and AT&T in turn would ensure that this search engine runs faster than Google.

Even email may not be free if this proposal becomes a reality. There has already been an incident when, in April, AOL caught some heat for refusing to deliver emails that contained any mention of the website www.dearaol.com, a website for an advocacy group who opposed AOL’s pay-to-send email scheme.

Another incident in North Carolina could be a prime example of the threat we face. In 2004, one of North Carolina’s most prominent DSL service providers, Madison River, blocked their subscribers from viewing any rival companies web sites.

Unfortunately, there are numerous other incidents such as these occurring even today. This could, however, be just the beginning. Major telecommunications and cable companies are out to eliminate the open information superhighway and turn it into an information tollbooth of sorts. This tollbooth could stifle innovation and new ideas brought upon daily utilizing the internet as we know it today.

Are you asking yourself what you can do to affect congress’ decision? It’s quite simple to let your voice be heard about this topic. The most effective step you can take is by contacting your state senators. There is a website that may be of great use to you when it comes to getting in touch with your state government officials. It’s called www.savetheinternet.com, and by clicking a few links you can send off a request to combat these major corporations and their sinister plot. Besides contact information, the website also offers up-to-date information about this topic, which is quickly gaining speed. You can even see where your home state’s senators are currently standing regarding this topic. Within a matter of months, this will be a well-known ordeal as the media sinks its claws into this hot debate.

I suggest if you oppose the pay-to-play proposal, that you visit the aforementioned website and find out how you can make a real difference. If you want others in your hometown to know about the threat we face, the website has got you covered. There is an easy to follow “contact your local newspaper” option that will allow you to create a well written, informative letter to the paper’s editor.

We must fight to save the internet as we know it. Through unity we can overcome this ludicrous attempt to seize our online freedom. Don’t let major corporations dictate how we use the internet.