The issue of net neutrality is again coming to the fore. This time though it’s the UK’s turn as Internet Service Providers (ISPs) continue to push for a system that could see the Internet become unequal.
Net neutrality has been a key issue in the US ever since the FCC unveiled plans for a plan that would leave it all on the same level playing field it is currently in. The knight in shining armor as far as the UK is concerned is Mr Internet.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the Internet and has been asked by the government to negotiate a agreement on an open Internet and the UK government thought to themselves: why not go for the best in the business to help us do it!
The agreement would be between ISPs and content firms but Berners-Lee told the BBC that progress has been slow and that he would welcome self-regulation by the Internet industry itself.
“If it fails the government has to be absolutely ready to legislate,” he said.
“It may be that the openness of the Internet, we should just put into law.”
As we’ve said before, net neutrality isn’t just something that is important to the online gaming industry. Although the UK isn’t as big in stature as the US, it will still be a blow to the entire planet if the UK and US both see a two-tiered internet at some point in the not-too-distant future.
Berners-Lee later added that when you discriminate between different content providers “you lose the open market,” and that “the companies gain is that they get complete control of you.”
If the UK and US both decide net neutrality isn’t worth it then you can’t see a way back with so many of the world’s largest nations, such as India and China, so strong on censorship.
