Congress's Actions This Fall Could Destroy the Internet as We Know It

After deliberations in late October, Congress is poised to take action that will directly influence the future of the internet. The FCC is likely to announce a plan that would essentially kill net neutrality the day before Thanksgiving, with a final vote to go down some time in December of this year. Net neutrality is an essential consumer protection that ensures your experience online is protected from the interference of internet service providers (ISP) -- ie. Comcast, AT&T, Verizon or any other company you pay to be able to surf the web. According to TechCrunch, how you watch videos online, listen to music or download documents will change drastically if the move goes through. Ending net neutrality has been a top target for the Trump administration's Federal Communications Committee chairman (and former telecom giant Verizon attorney) Ajit Pai. Back in the spring of 2017, Pai's FCC drafted the "Restoring Internet Freedom" proposal aimed at rolling back a 2015 Obama administration decision preserving net neutrality. Proponents of net neutrality see it as a fundamental protection for individuals, businesses, and America's overall freedom to ensure the internet doesn't go down the road of cable television, thus no longer being the level playing field for communication, interaction and discovery.