Dec 12, 2017 3 min read

Thank you for your editorial in the Dec. 4 edition regarding net neutrality.

Anyone who uses the internet for shopping, entertainment, education and research, social interaction, or business – pretty much everyone in America – should be very concerned about the proposed FCC rule changes. They give internet service providers the power to block, censor, or slow our access.

Providers are likely to do this because they will be able to charge companies to deliver their sites faster while also charging us more. Look for internet fees to double or triple.

Here are some examples of how the new FCC rules could affect our everyday life.

ISPs could be paid to block our access to certain sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, political blogs or news sites, businesses, local restaurants, churches, and nonprofit organizations. Essentially any site we visit today without interference could become difficult or impossible to access, unless, of course, we pay an additional fee to our provider.

But it’s not just websites that will be affected. Games, streaming movies and music – access to all could potentially be controlled. The new rules would impact every device people own that accesses the internet – desktops, smartphones and even home security systems. If your security system sends a notification via the internet to the police during a break-in, the burglars could be long gone before the cops arrive, unless you pay an additional fee to your ISP.

Costs will increase for tax-funded libraries, which will have to pay hefty fees to provide an open internet to their patrons. Small companies will be at a disadvantage because they can’t pay high access fees. Software companies that offer their programs over the internet may face disgruntled customers who experience service interruptions or long wait times. People who rely on the internet for their jobs could see their productivity plummet.

So, if this hurts Americans and many American businesses, why put new rules in place? Because giant telecommunication companies are able to take advantage of the current business-over-people climate in Washington, D.C., to make more money. And because the new chairman of the FCC, Ajit Pai, is a former Verizon lawyer with a record of consumer-unfriendly viewpoints.

This issue is not just about money, though. It’s about freedom of speech and freedom to access information. It’s about freedom from Big Brother oversight and control, whether that’s in the form of corporations or the government. Whoever controls what we see and read online controls what we know and, therefore, what we think.

All Americans should be very fearful of these new FCC rules. We must make our voices heard before Thursday, when the commissioners vote.

Carolee Ketelaar

McMurray