Net Neutrality

    What is Net Neutrality?

      Net neutrality is the concept in which internet service providers (ISPs) process all information or data sent across the internet equally. Under net neutrality, ISPs cannot purposefully block, slow down, or charge more for specific websites, programs, communications, etc. based on their content or the personal attributes of their senders. In the U.S., the discussion on net neutrality revolves around the legal status of ISPs and the way in which they should be regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as affirmed by various legislation and Supreme Court cases.

    Net Neutrality in the US

      The net neutrality debate first arose in the 1990s with the emergence of ISPs in a newly digitalised era. Although the Communications Act of 1934 had set regulatory guidelines for existing information technology at the time, such as telegraph and telephone lines, new Internet services had yet to be addressed. In order to properly regulate them, the FCC first had to legally classify them as either "information services" or "common carriers", with the latter granting it much more power to oversee ISPs. This was determined in the 2005 case National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X Internet Services where the Supreme Court upheld the designation of ISPs as "information services" as put forth by the FCC. The FCC later altered this classification to "common carrier" in 2015 under the Obama administration, ushering in a new era of regulatory oversight and preventing ISPs from arbitrarily blocking certain websites. These steps were reversed in 2017 under the Trump administration and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, however, once again sparking debate over net neutrality in the US.

    Implications of Net Neutrality

      Net neutrality regulations have largely been supported by major tech firms such as Amazon and Microsoft as well as human rights and civil liberties activists. Proponents of net neutrality claim that equal and unrestricted access to the Internet creates a more open and democratic society where more and more voices are able to participate. In addition, they argue that ISPs often act as a monopoly, especially in more remote or rural areas of the US where access to the Internet is often limited. Those who oppose net neutrality include ISPs themselves as well as numerous businesspeople and economists. Arguments against net neutrality generally include that the inability to selectively allocate Internet resources could potentially be stifling to the growth of new services that may require more or less of them. In addition, many of net neutrality's critics maintain that it's unnecessary given the sufficient levels of ISP competition as well as the supposed fact that the Internet has long functioned without it.

Ajit Pai, Chairman of the FCC under Donald Trump's presidency

Internet Censorship

    Internet Censorship in the US

      In the US, the discussion of internet censorship nowadays primarily revolves around the censoring of users by private social media networks such as Twitter or Facebook. However, both US state and federal governments have taken significant steps to regulate and censor Internet content, with the first wave coming about in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Legislation such as the Children's Online Protection Act and the Children's Internet Protection Act were implemented both to stop pornographic material involving minors from circulating as well as to prevent children from accessing such material. Later in the 2000s, the federal government reportedly began collecting private Internet data for national security reasons, though this has drawn the ire of many human rights and anti-surveillance organisations.

      Americans also see social media companies as a threat to their freedom of speech, with a majority saying they possess too much power. This discussion especially arose after former POTUS Donald Trump's Twitter account was suspended following the January 6 Storming of the Capitol, with some conservatives arguing that the ban represents a violation of freedom of speech. However, others have been quick to point out that such censorship is not carried out by Congress or any arm of the federal government, which is what the First Amendment prevents, and therefore that private social media companies have every right to regulate who uses their platforms.

    Internet Censorship Elsewhere

      Censorship of possibly subversive material has historically existed in many absolutist states around the world as a way to retain power, but Internet censorship, just like the Internet itself, is a relatively recent phenomenon. Although most countries censor things like incitement of violence and child pornography, some take much more drastic steps. Countries with high levels of Internet censorship include Russia, China, and many countries in the Middle East. This is especially true of China, where the Golden Shield Project, colloquially referred to as the "Great Firewall", restricts its citizens' access to major Internet browsers such as Google and Yahoo while heavily filtering China's main search engine, Baidu. Circumventing these restrictions is possible through the use of a virtual private network (VPN), though the CCP has outlawed these and implements harsh punishments on those caught with them.

A map of global Internet censorship practices, with green being the least and pink being the most

Digital Divide

    What is the Digital Divide?

     The Digital Divide is a term used to describe the growing economic and social gap between those who have regularly use the Internet and those who, for a number of reasons, do not. The term has historically been used to denote the stratification caused by a number of other technologies, such as cell phones. Digital Divide is a multi-faceted issue and is present both within countries as well as with regard to other ones. Since there are more than 4.5 billion Internet users worldwide, the Digital Divide is a pressing issue for the billions of people who don't.

    Why does the Digital Divide exist?

     There are numerous aspects relating to the existence of the Digital Divide, with economic, cultural, and political factors being at play. Developing countries, for example, have far less access to the Internet compared to developed countries on average due to poverty and lack of investment in necessary infrastructure. Even within developing countries, those living in urban areas as well as men are more likely to be able to use the Internet than their rural or female counterparts. These factors also exist in developed countries such as the United States, and the urban-rural divide is in fact the largest predictor of where one stands on the Digital Divide. The above factors are all related to peoples' lack of access to the Internet, but other causes exist as well. For example, senior citizens are generally less accustomed to using the Internet and therefore cannot use it to their full advantage, which represents a lack of skills rather than access.

    Effects of the Digital Divide

     Due to the Internet's revolutionary potential in so many different fields, those who cannot or do not regularly use it could possibly lag behind. For example, students as well as workers may be at a disadvantage when being required to deal with computer programs, especially in technology or software-related fields. Since men are more likely to use the Internet than women, this could also worsen the average gender pay gap. In addition, lack of Internet usage could also lead to greater social isolation and alienation for many people, with this especially being the case due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Percent of each country's population that uses the Internet