
Net neutrality is a principle that is focused on Title II of the Communications Act of 1934 and section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996––which essentially states that every American should have fast, effective, nationwide communication with adequate facilities and reasonable charges (transition.fcc.gov). These rules give the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) the power to ensure that a big internet Service Provider such as Verizon, AT&T or Comcast cannot block, throttle, or interfere with web traffic and keep the Internet free. This allows consumers to share and access information freely, according to savetheinternet.com. On December 14th of 2017, the FCC officially gutted net neutrality in a 3-2 vote. The future of the internet is now potentially in jeopardy. internet service providers could start offering internet packages similar to cable packages. This means that people could have to pay for certain websites, social media platforms, and internet speeds like they currently do in Portugal, a country without net neutrality (The Verge). What can be done to stop this is a “resolution of disapproval” by Congress, which states that “Congress may disapprove a broad range of regulatory rules issued by federal agencies by enacting a joint resolution of disapproval,” (Congressional Research Service). Only with the help of the American people contacting their local members of Congress to express their feelings about the reversal of net neutrality can this resolution be enacted.