The Geek Down

John Oliver and Net Neutrality (2017) discussion


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On his show 'Last Week Tonight,' John Oliver revisited the issue of net neutrality amid threats of rollbacks. The Republican-led Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been actively trying to roll back the agency's Obama-era net neutrality rules. Net neutrality is the principle that Internet service providers and governments regulating the Internet should treat all data on the Internet the same, not discriminating or charging differentially by user, content, website, platform, application, type of attached equipment, or mode of communication. This would have a monstrous impact - companies like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon would be able to decide who is heard and who isn’t. They’d be able to block websites or content they don’t like or applications that compete with their own offerings. On June 14, 2016, a federal appeals court upheld the open-internet protections in all respects after a decade-long battle with phone and cable companies and their lobbyists. Crucial for small business owners, startups and entrepreneurs, who rely on the open internet to launch their businesses, create markets, advertise their products and services, and reach customers, Net Neutrality lowers the barriers of entry by preserving the internet’s fair and level playing field. It’s because of Net Neutrality that small businesses and entrepreneurs have been able to thrive online. The call asks users to visit goFCCyourself.com and make their opinions known. We talk about it in detail, and highly encourage listeners to speak up.
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The Geek DownBy The Geek Down

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