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Net neutrality is a simple concept that guarantees a free and open internet. It prevents ISPs from filtering content and allows equal access to all information. Furthermore, it stops them from pushing corporate giants for a fee and keeping small companies down.
Net neutrality ensures equal treatment for all websites, content, and content producers. Some countries have net neutrality laws, while other nations only adhere to its principles without actively enforcing them. If your country doesn't have net neutrality, we recommend using a good VPN to remain anonymous online and access blocked content.
Keep reading to learn all about net neutrality, its pros and cons, and why we might need it.
Net neutrality is a concept advocating for equal access to all types of online content. It requires internet providers to allow access to all websites, applications, and content, regardless of their source. Simply put, net neutrality rules prohibit “blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization.” For example, ISPs can’t speed up access to Netflix while slowing down Hulu to drive customers toward the former.
That said, net neutrality doesn’t mean everything is freely available online; we still have legal frameworks defining illegal or harmful content. ISPs can still take action against content and sites that break the law in some way (hate speech, copyright infringement, etc.).
In essence, net neutrality protects online entities from unjustified discrimination by ISPs. However, it doesn’t prevent measures to block harmful or illegal content. It does force ISPs to follow a legal due process with oversight, which prevents arbitrary decisions.
The application of net neutrality varies by country; each nation has laws regarding the issue. In the United States, the history of net neutrality has been turbulent, to say the least.
In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act extended broadband services to underserved areas. While it also included provisions for net neutrality, this act didn’t establish clear guidelines for their enforcement.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) favored net neutrality during the Bush and Obama administrations. Under Trump, however, the FCC reversed many previous net neutrality regulations. Both states and ISPs have challenged these actions; California even tried to enact its own net neutrality legislation.
So, net neutrality is not gone in the sense that we still have significant advocacy efforts. It remains a topic of debate, with various groups pushing for its reinstatement.
Several countries have net neutrality laws in effect, while others adhere to its principles without enforcing them. Explore net neutrality application by country in our table below.
| Net neutrality status | Enforced | Not enforced |
| Countries | Brazil, Canada, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, Switzerland, the European Union | Argentina, Australia, Chile, China, Indonesia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, United States, Uruguay |
Net neutrality sparks heated debate with plenty of arguments for and against it. Net neutrality advocates point out the following benefits:
Some of the most common arguments against net neutrality include:
Net neutrality has a significant impact on consumers, businesses, and the future of the internet.
Without net neutrality, ISPs can throttle your connection as much as they like. They regularly slow down avid streamers, downloaders, and gamers, who need a lot of bandwidth. Your ISP can monitor your traffic and throttle you when you exceed certain bandwidth limits.
Yes, a VPN (virtual private network) can prevent ISP throttling. VPNs can mask your IP address and encrypt your traffic so your ISP won’t see what you’re doing online.
Here are the best VPNs we can recommend:
Net neutrality is an idea developed to prevent internet censorship. Its main goal is to make internet providers distribute all information equally, regardless of the source. This prevents paid prioritization and keeps things fair. For example, ISPs couldn’t take money from Netflix to make Hulu load slower.
The main benefit of net neutrality is turning the internet into an open and fair marketplace where everyone can compete under the same terms. It also guarantees free speech and freedom of expression and prevents Internet censorship. Boosting competition also drives prices down for consumers.
Net neutrality is costly for ISPs, leaving them with less money for innovation and infrastructure. To secure extra funds, they would have to increase their prices. It’s also burdensome since they’d have to submit reports to prove their compliance with net neutrality rules. Net neutrality could also usher in unfair pricing; streaming services use much more bandwidth than other companies, but they would all pay the same price.
Without net neutrality, ISPs can play favorites with their customers. They can do this as a paid service or push content that aligns with their political views. They can block, promote, or slow down certain websites or charge additional fees to small companies.
Net neutrality ensures open access to all data on the internet but also levels the playing field for all companies. Under net neutrality, ISPs can't prioritize corporate giants for a fee while slowing down smaller companies that can't afford such a service. In other words, net neutrality affects you as a consumer, as well as companies, websites, and every internet user.
If your country doesn't have net neutrality or you just want an extra layer of security, we recommend using a good VPN. It keeps you anonymous online, protects you from numerous threats, and encrypts your traffic to keep it from prying eyes.
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