by Bethany McKay, Freelance Writer/Editor
In June, net neutrality rules were officially rolled back. Net neutrality has been an ongoing debate and pushed back and forth, but the real change began recently.
If you do not know what net neutrality is, it required internet service providers (ISPs) to offer equal access to web content and prohibited them from charging more for certain content or giving special treatment to certain sites. These were enacted in 2015 by the Obama administration.
This topic is more complicated and layered, with Ross Benes of Digiday: “Rolling back net neutrality would relegate independent publishers to the slow lane of the internet because they’d be unable to afford access to high speeds. Large publishers with more cash can overcome this obstacle, but they’ll be hit with onerous fees and face possible competitive disadvantages from subsidiaries of internet-service providers receiving preferential treatment.”
The uncertainty of this repeal has many questioning what the ISPs could and will do, such as implement additional fees for better internet speed to higher taxes for services. This is problematic to the publishing industry, which isn’t making a gigantic profit to begin with.
“This discriminatory behavior could be catastrophic for smaller independent publishers who won’t have the means to pay ISPs for preferential treatment and may see visitor levels and associated revenues plummet. It will also be disastrous for free speech and the open exchange of ideas for which the internet was designed,” said Andy Evans of Marketing Land.
How can publishers try to function during this period of uncertainty? Evans says businesses should maintain or increase content standards: “High-quality content that speaks to particular life or work interests, created by passionate, enthusiastic experts, will always be attractive to specific audiences. The end of net neutrality may make it harder for consumers to access this type of content, but if it is truly valuable to them, they may be prepared to go the extra mile.”
Evans said another way is for publishers to write or call congressional representatives and senators, and share their support for net neutrality rules. Despite being touted as a victory by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Ajit Pai, there have been legal challenges by state attorneys general and public interest groups, as well as by Democratic lawmakers. Some state legislatures introduced bills right after the repeal that meant to ensure net neutrality continues. Governors in Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Montana, Rhode Island, and Vermont have signed executive orders, while Oregon, Vermont, and Washington have enacted legislation.
According to Publishers Weekly: “Following the FCC’s repeal, restoring net neutrality protections is going to be an uphill political battle. But it is not too late for publishers to stand up for free speech, and to stand with their readers, their authors, and the library community.”