image via TechCrunch

Net Neutrality is - essentially - a set of regulations that prohibit internet service providers from treating traffic to different sites or apps in a discriminatory manner. All traffic is treated equally - no destinations are given preferential treatment, nor are they unfairly handicapped. But without the regulations that enforce Net Neutrality, ISPs would be able to offer easier, quicker access to certain sites and apps willing to pay for the privilege, and slow down or hobble access to sites not willing to pay additional fees to ISPs.

In other words:


The kind of sites that would be able to afford better treatment would only be the top of the heap - Google, Facebook, Netflix, Amazon, etc. They each are massive, multi-billion dollar operations that would have no choice but to play ball with ISPs in order to guarantee ease of use for consumers. But the myriad of smaller, less cash-rich sites on the internet would not be able to afford costs at these levels - so while the largest sites on the internet might not change to much of a degree, smaller or less mainstream sites could suffer enormously.

This chart might help simplify this a bit more:


image via Software Engineering Daily

And if you still need it explained a little more concisely...


And honestly, that's if they load AT ALL. A lack of Net Neutrality rules would mean that certain ISPs could block access to certain sites altogether - if a bloc of consumers decide they find certain sites offensive right now, there's nothing they nor the ISP can do about it. But in a world without Net Neutrality, Comcast or AT&T or any ISP would be able to block access to whatever certain sites they wanted. The internet is equal and free right now - allowing for the FCC to rid themselves of Net Neutrality means you are siding with Comcast and AT&T over the open internet.



You don't need to make clear what EXACTLY is your chief concern, but you DO need to make your voice heard so that the FCC knows that they cannot do away with Net Neutrality rules without facing consequences from the electorate. So visit https://www.battleforthenet.com/ to join the fight to save Net Neutrality.

And in case you need a little more motivation, let me leave you with this inspirational quote:

How To Get Everyone To Care About Net Neutrality

Visit https://www.battleforthenet.com/ to join the fight to save Net Neutrality.