Net Neutrality In The EU Is Under Attack

[Nosebleed]

It seems like corporations just don't want to leave the internet alone. This time it's in the European Union.

For those who don't know what Net Neutrality is, it's the principle that all internet sources are to be treated equally worldwide.
Net Neutrality assures that no companies can touch what you can look up on the internet or influence it in any way so you have control over your internet.
It also assures that everyone gets the same internet service, regardless of the provider, and no one can have special priorities over others.

TL;DR Net Neutrality is what makes your internet an even playing field for everyone.

And of course the big shots don't want this at all, they want to control your internet so they can profit as much as they can while you get thrown in the trash can.

What would it mean for Net Neutrality to disappear?

• You could be forced to pay more, for less internet. The European Commission and the European Council want to pass a law that gives ISP's the possibility to demand more for certain internet services. Big corporations could buy a fast lane for their services and small, non-commercial services could be accessible harder or not at all. This way the Net looses freedom and neutrality which make it so good.

• ISP's would have the right to control the contents of your internet access. They could block and filter content and in turn decide what information is and is not accessible for their clients. It would be the job of unelected judges, public regulators and the EU commission to decide which kind of net neutrality we get.

• The diversity and innovation of the internet lie in it's openness and neutrality. We are on the verge to loose these freedoms if parts of the law about "special services", a class-like network management and the practice of price-discrimination in the internet, won't be changed. We have to protect the infrastructure of the internet from discriminating business models. If a ISP's are able to sell a fast-lane or a volume-exception they will be inclined to keep the capacities of the normal internet limited. Provider shouldn't decide about who reaches their customers and under what conditions.

x-post from /r/europe

A lot of MOPs have already shown to be in favor of no net neutrality, so it is extremely important that regular citizens be heard instead of just lobbyists so we can make sure our internet stays fair and equal for all.

You can go to this page here and contact your country's representatives either via e-mail or via phone-call and let them know that you do not want this to happen at all. There are only a few days left until this law can actually pass so this is not to the time to sit down and wait to see what happens.

[CeruleanGamer]

Sounds like communism meets internet and they had a baby that's going to be the next Stalin. We need less government involvement in all aspects of life. 

Edited October 23, 2015 by CeruleanGamer

[The Striker]

It reminds me of the country you live in the internet is greatly reduced can say ..... the download or both but the upload velociade is 10X smaller than it should be.Well this is the fate of the world corruption is too large.

[Clephas]

The fact is, the ISPs are already making plenty of money without this.  They are a utility, after all.  Net neutrality in the US was basically solved by reclassifying internet service as a utility like electricity or water.  Thus, it can no longer be prioritized for a single group.

[Erogamer]

Net neutrality, is a Trojan horse for increased government control of the Internet under the guise of “open Internet.”  

[Redpanda]

Net neutrality, is a Trojan horse for increased government control of the Internet under the guise of “open Internet.”  

Did you even read what OP posted?

This is where you will find true 'open Internet'.

[Clephas]

It basically comes down to this... who would you like making rules about the internet (no rules not being an option)? With net neutrality, you get the government in control, basically saying no single person or group of people can be prioritized for any amount of money.  Without net neutrality, the net gets run by the corporations, with no restriction.  Similar to Wall Street, it is obvious that this is a bad idea, as private industry without restriction milks the rest of the world dry.  *stated as fact*  Every financial collapse and depression in America's history was caused by letting business have a free hand with only minimal government oversight.  The latest one was due to Bill Clinton giving into Republican pressure to have Roosevelt-era anti-trust legislation repealed, thus allowing the big banks to link their investment and loan groups with the places that are supposed to be protecting our money.

Business without restriction is bad for business.  It is as simple as that.

[CeruleanGamer]

The government is ignorant. All they do is sticking their hand out and say"where's my share?" and constantly raising taxes. I know it's probably not as simple as that but that's how it's looking with the general public.

In fact they should actually be joining the movement and trying different ways to generate money and look how to fund their deficits through the use of the internet. There's literally trillions of dollars floating around the web. I know this personally since I generate most of my business there as a social media marketer.

Edited October 24, 2015 by CeruleanGamer

[Clephas]

*sighs* Of course government is ignorant. If they weren't, the rest of us wouldn't be able to live lives as individuals.  Also, your point is irrelevant to the net neutrality issue.  When I say 'business', I mean 'big business', not sole proprietors or individual entrepreneurs.  If anything, net neutrality is pretty much the only barrier to the net's stagnation and the marginalization of smaller players in the economic game.  The average new business can't possibly match the funding of a large corporation after all... and in a world without net neutrality, it is the really big businesses that win.  If you want to stack the deck against yourself, that's your business... but do the rest of the world a favor and don't do the same to everyone else. 

[Erogamer]

Sigh, honestly I think this topic should be locked as we are getting into politics and it will just cause a shit storm.

[Funyarinpa]

It seems that we need to bid farewell to net neutrality. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-34649067

[Nosebleed]

I have no words...

I sure hope people raise issues with this once it becomes widespread and not something that's being done in such secrecy.

It's absolutely deplorable that so many MEPs support such ludicrous privatization.

[Yuuko]

"Interestingly, three countries within the EU - Netherlands, Slovenia and Finland - already have a range of net neutrality rules enshrined in law.
These laws might have to be altered depending on how the new, EU-wide rules are interpreted by regulators later."

If they fuck our laws I'm going to be angry : |

[Narcosis]

The future is looking bleak...

In worst case, technically we as well as couple other countries could opt out from EU. Is it really possible, though? I don't think so, as the whole Europe practically became a slave to EU.

[atorq]

"Interestingly, three countries within the EU - Netherlands, Slovenia and Finland - already have a range of net neutrality rules enshrined in law.
These laws might have to be altered depending on how the new, EU-wide rules are interpreted by regulators later."

If they fuck our laws I'm going to be angry : |

Don't worry we already censor the internet here, and with this absolutely fantastic conservative government nothing can go wrong. Especially when Finland has such good history of not enforcing EU regulations too much.