Why Net Neutrality Matters

Nothing matters more than open access to information.  It is the foundation to a free society.  It’s so important, in fact, the very first amendment the Framers added to our constitution was to insure the freedom of press, and our freedom of speech.  In the past, we had town squares where people would gather to exchange ideas with one another; today, that town square has grown world wide.

The internet has been something of the great equalizer.  No matter how rich or powerful, anyone can create and post content and spread their ideas.  One of the most important features is that all information is accessible the same.  The protector of this freedom is Net Neutrality.  And it’s currently under attack.

The current chairman of the FCC, Ajit Pai, has vowed to dismantle Net Neutrality.  This would allow ISP’s (internet service providers) to allow greater bandwidth to certain websites, and slow down others.  This presents something of an existential threat to the modern association.

Largely being NPO’s, associations may not have the bargaining power to purchase “fast lanes”, or to lobby for better protection.  If a private corporation perceives any aspect of the service your association offers as a competition, it would be in their financial interest to want to slow down peoples access to your website, and make theirs a more appealing choice.  This could be disastrous in today’s environment where speed of access is paramount.

With modern websites drinking up more bandwidth, with things like video content, and larger images, load times, without the protection of Net Neutrality, could revert to a dial-up era crawl.  Can your association afford this?  There is something you can do, and now is the time to take action.

Change.org has a petition to save Net Neutrality.  Follow the link and sign today!

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