Net Neutrality and Art
On December 15th, 2017, the Federal Communications Commissions voted to strike down Obama-era regulations that assured Net Neutrality, the concept that internet service providers have no inherent right to manipulate the speed at which media provided by companies can be reached. This decision has many possible outcomes, and whether that outcome is good or not depends entirely on where one stands on the political spectrum. However, it can be unanimously agreed upon that by instituting a wall that blockades the access of art and music that is freely distributed through the internet is a horrible policy.
The expression of humanity through art is supposed to be something that is free, a tradition of creativity and the production of something that provides life with color that stretches back to the dawn of man. If that expressionism is blockaded by a barrier created by greed, then it stifles a necessary facet of life. The fact that an ISP is now allowed to block certain websites without a related “package” and limit internet speeds when accessing others websites in order to force you to buy a more premium package is discriminatory and unfair. By limiting and restricting access to art on the internet, these ISPs are committing an act that is similar to censorship.
The possible consequences of removing net neutrality regulations are varied. Many critics say that it will create a pseudo-monopoly over the internet, which will allow ISPs to charge whatever they want to consumers for them to even have decent access to the internet. Furthermore, it creates an imbalance in how media is accessed. For those who are able to pay the toll to have high-speed access to the internet, there is likely to be little to no change. For those unable to pay the toll, then they have to bear with slower speeds on the internet. This is a prominent disadvantage for consumers, but it is even more so for start-up businesses and freelance artists. Artists will have to pay more to upload their art, which in most cases will discourage them from uploading it in the first place. Using the internet as a platform to gain popularity and even money will slowly be limited to only those that can afford the price of using the internet, with new artists and other content creators unable to do the same.
The internet is one of the greatest inventions of our contemporary era. It allows for the fast transfer of ideas and knowledge, communication across the world and a vast multitude of other reasons. The disbursement of art and other media is a critical part of the current day internet as it has allowed the internet to become the wonderful service that it is. Internet culture is shaped by clip art and other media, often labeled as “memes” or creepypastas. Additionally, the internet has allowed for independent artists to share their content on a free marketplace. This then allows for them to share their human experience to a wider audience, or sell their pieces in an immense marketplace. In this way, the internet is the greatest collection of modern art. It is for this very reason that the internet should remain free and neutral, so that the art collected on it can remain free (or available) for all to enjoy.
Net neutrality is a set of regulations that must remain in place in order for the internet to remain as we know it–a place where everyone has access to everything and the transfer of ideas, communication, and art are free. If net neutrality is completely taken apart, then art, communication, and ideas are restricted.
Citations
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/14/technology/net-neutrality-rules.html