FCC chairman Ajit Pai said Thursday’s decision was a vote for free enterprise and eliminated “heavy-handed government regulation.”
The FCC’s decision can ultimately change the internet as we know it. Arizona State University internet expert, Heather Ross, said without net neutrality, internet service providers can now distribute content at a slower or a more expensive rate. She said they can also block specific websites altogether.
“Frankly our democracy relies on our ability to freely exchange information. And if we don’t have that ability or if that ability is controlled or controllable by large companies, I think that poses a significant threat to our democracy," Ross said.
According to Ross, the changes are unlikely to happen overnight, but rather take months or years.
