Net Neutrality. Everyone is talking about it but not everyone knows exactly what it means. Here’s a Net Neutrality 101 definition. According to one source at INVESTOPEDIA, it means this: The concept that all data on the internet should be treated equally by corporations, such as internet service providers, and governments, regardless of content, user, platform, application or device. Network neutrality requires all Internet service providers (ISPs) to provide the same level of data access and speed to all traffic, and that traffic to one service or website cannot be blocked or degraded. ISPs are also not to create special arrangements with services or websites, in which companies providing them are given improved network access or speed....read more...
Now let’s look at the last line of that definition. ISPs are also not to create special arrangements with services or websites, in which companies providing them are given improved network access or speed. I think that is the most important and challenging part of the Net Neutrality issue. These “special arrangements” are what is making small businesses, first-time entrepreneurs and non profits worried. Because for them it means I’m a little fish in an ocean of sharks, how do I stop from being eaten or disappear? It is only the giant corporations that have the cash and power to keep themselves #1 in all of the search engines, and they know that. Corporations already hold most of the countries wealth and don’t mind taking more of it if they can. This is forcing the little guy to frantically find the right coding system so that people don’t forget who they are. And now that it has unanimously passed, they’re sweating it out and hoping for the best.
So how about the world of non profits? The places that run specifically on donations and public funding? These organizations, such as myself, rely heavily on internet exposure in order to gain the visibility needed for funding programs, services and day to day operations. From a perspective where you are helping people that need to access services now and can’t wait because of their situation it can be catastrophic. If it takes a while from them to reach you because your site isn’t loading fast enough or the page that has your contact info is freezing then they will be stuck as well. This is a frightening scenario for organizations that work with vulnerable populations, like youth, immigrants and the homeless population. Incidentally, all of them are vulnerable to trafficking and domestic violence.
Of course the government will accept this knowing that big business will thrive and in turn boost the economy. They will perpetuate the lie that Net Neutrality will be good for everyone big and small and all will be created equal. That cannot be farther from the truth. If there is anything we’ve learned about Corporate America is that they are GREEDY, with everything. Unfortunately most non profits are the smallest of them all but still manage to achieve some success in their work. This is because they are able to obtain the visibility they need not only to donors but to those that are also badly in need of their services. Unfortunately that may not happen anymore.
In the online world of human trafficking publications like Backpage.com make most if not all of their profits by selling minors like you would sell a couch that’s in good condition. If the profit margin of Backpage.com continues to grow they may have more power to garner a bigger online presence than before. So if this happens and the non profits that help minors in these situations are slowed down, help will be slow to access as well. It will be harder for youth who are stepping out of a trafficking situation to find shelter because they just simply cannot afford to spend hours waiting for a website to download. I am also aware of street outreach that will literally hand young people food and a phone number to call but that isn’t always the safest option for the non profit or the young person. We must find more creative ways to get to them.
Net Neutrality is indeed a great challenge for us in the non profit world. BeaSister2aSister isn’t scared, we welcome a challenge and we will fight to turn it into a success.
If you would like to know more about the campaign to shut down Backpage.com and the repealing of section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, watch the documentary “I Am Jane Doe” written and directed by Mary Mazzio. The battle is still raging.
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Samantha Inesta
Founder/Executive Director
BeaSister2aSister
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