The Fight for Free Speech: Will We Be the Greatest Generation?
“Net neutrality” as I understand it is anti-censorship: it makes it unlawful for ISP’s to discriminate against customers’ bits based on their meaning.
Obviously if I want QoS sufficient for streaming real-time video that’s something they should be able to charge for, but ideally they shouldn’t even know if I’m using my up-QoS’d bits for video at all. All they should know is that I’m paying more for bits that arrive on time.
The flip side is requiring ISP’s to provide 9-1-1 services for VoIP or mandatory anti-virus for downloads or bittorrent copyright checks or what have you clearly violates net neutrality — from the government side rather than the private sector. If my bits are my business the government shouldn’t on principle require ISP’s to make them theirs, at least not without a warrant.
