The post What Is Net Neutrality And Why Does It Matter? appeared first on HostGator Blog | Gator Crossing . Net neutrality is the basic premise that all online data should be treated equally, without discrimination, without additional charges, and without blocking or throttling internet usage by all ISPs (Internet Service Providers) or by the government. It is uncensored access, equal access, and unrestricted access. As Senator Franken (of Minnesota) has been quoted as saying “Net neutrality is the First Amendment issue of our time.” The internet was designed as an open medium of communication, one in which all users could access all content (within the legal requirements for content access in certain cases) without being restricted from doing so. There are many that argue that net neutrality no longer exists, in light of the fact that the FCC’s previous rulings on the matter were recently struck down, but in light of the publicity that we, the users of the internet, have brought to this issue, in light of the protests that we have made, the FCC is taking steps to create new net neutrality rules, working to try to keep the public’s desires at heart (a first for the FCC, one could argue!). The FCC’s actions are not entirely altruistic, being concerned with the creation of monopolies and the like, but, the fact of the matter is that net neutrality is not yet dead. If net neutrality ceases, we could be looking at a creation of an internet bogged down by fees, one in which the user must pay to access certain types of content. One in which Netflix does not have to pay a toll to have its content streamed, and one in which those tolls are not passed on in fees to the customers who wish to use it. It is not just streaming that would be affected, however, but all content. For example if you wanted access to the news websites, you could be charged a fee, and another fee could be charged if you wanted to look at internet memes. The sky would be the limit if net neutrality dies out completely. So yes, pay attention to anything involving net neutrality, and remember, as we said back in 2011 – “We here at HostGator support a free internet. An internet in which free information and unhindered distribution of said information is an unalienable human right.” We still stand by this statement and we believe that you need to know what’s going on in the world of the internet today! Image Source: Color Lines. (2014). Net Neutrality . [image online] Available at: http://colorlines.com/assets_c/2013/09/net_neutrality_081310-thumb-640xauto-629-thumb-640xauto-9121.gif [Accessed: 27 Mar 2014]. web hosting