The head of FCC (U.S. Federal Communications Commission), Ajit Pai, has announced that he will start the process of repealing FCC’s net neutrality rules that were approved by President Obama in 2015. The announcement starts a new battle over the future of the Internet, censorship and role of ISPs (Internet Service Providers) in what people can read or watch online.
Current net neutrality rules prohibit broadband providers from giving or selling access to a “fast lane” of Internet to certain Internet services over others. A neutral network gives equal transmission priority over all content moving across it, and no content is subjected to slow downs or blocking. The loss of net neutrality could mean that priority is given to the content of big providers.
Many websites worry that when the rules are repealed, they will lose access to clients and page views. Even larger websites – such as streaming service providers like Netflix or Hulu – can experience significant slowdowns should ISPs choose to slow down or block user access to these services. ISPs can potentially put focus on their own streaming services, or demand that Netflix and Hulu pay them to access higher speeds, thus raising the cost of these services.
Facebook, Google, Amazon, Netflix and other tech giants vigorously support the existing net neutrality, since it “preserves the consumer experience, competition, and innovation online.”
What can Internet users do if net neutrality rules are revoked? Is there a way to still access their favorite websites with no slowdowns or blocks?
“We are very concerned about the revocation of net neutrality,” said Marty P. Kamden, CMO of NordVPN (Virtual Private Network). “Content censorship denies the right to free and open Internet, and we at NordVPN firmly stand for free flow of information. People will still have tools – such as VPNs – that will help to bypass the ISPs and access favorite websites without throttling or censorship. ”
Here’s how VPNs can help preserve net neutrality:
1. When the content slows down due to “fast lane” preferences, use a VPN server. Connecting to a VPN server will help preserve the same speeds of all websites, and throttling will be bypassed.
2. When content is blocked, connect to a country where it’s available. Geo-unblocking has so far been one of the main functions of VPNs. A VPN allows to easily jump between countries with a click of a button – so if Facebook is blocked in Vietnam, an Internet user in Vietnam can connect to a VPN server in France and access Facebook as if they physically were in France. If U.S. ISPs block certain websites, Internet users will be easily able to connect to other countries, where they will be available.
VPNs also encrypt all traffic between a user’s computer and a VPN server, providing complete privacy and security in Internet browsing experience. A VPN connects a user to the Internet through an alternative path than an ISP. The only information visible to an ISP is that a user is connected to a VPN server and nothing else. All other information is encrypted by the VPN’s security protocol.
NordVPN is determined to secure users’ data with features like double encryption and a strict no logs policy. To find out more about NordVPN, go to www.nordvpn.com.