The open internet's worst nightmare is about to become a reality: the FCC has announced its plans to end net neutrality.
SEE ALSO:Is Making Broadband a Utility the Key to Saving the Internet?The internet is NOT pleased, to say the least. On social media, people are calling out the plan for disregarding the wishes of the American people, lamenting the end of the internet as they know it, and calling on citizens and companies alike to take action.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai published an op-ed arguing for the policy - which we've taken the liberty of annotating here. The move also just *happens* to come two days before Thanksgiving, while no one has anything on their mind except travel headaches and turkey.
When the FCC last tried this stunt back in 2015, Redditors, Twitter users, and big tech companies like Google and Facebook alike joined together in support of an internet that does not cost more based on the speed of your internet, or which webpages and services you want to access.
And, amazingly, the FCC under the Obama administration listened. In order to keep net neutrality - thereby preventing broadband companies like AT&T and Verizon from further monetizing the internet by charging based on access speeds and preferential treatment for websites that pay a premium - they instated a little provision known as Title II.
The policy mandated that the internet be treated as a "utility" or "public good," like telephone lines and television stations. Classifying the internet in this way ensures that access to every website on the internet is consistent (or "neutral"), in that internet providers cannot charge different rates, or favor certain websites over others.
But Pai is set to reverse the Obama-era policy. So now, with net neutrality set to go the way of the Dodo, many on Twitter are making their displeasure known about the end of the glorious, functional internet as we know it. Here's how the internet is responding.
People think it's a terrible policy that nobody wants.
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They're saying that ending net neutrality ends the internet as we know it.
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Envisioning a terrible, dark, pay-to-play world without net neutrality.
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Calling on big tech companies to take action, and threatening to boycott the internet if tech companies sit by and let this happen.
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Tech and entertainment companies are starting to weigh in.
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... Others, like Trump administration favorite Breitbart, couldn't help but celebrate.
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They're already fighting back.
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Looks like the internet is ready to fight for all they hold dear in round 2: Trump edition. And round 3, or 4. Or however many it takes. ✊
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TopicsActivismFCCNet NeutralityPolitics
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