Net Neutrality Will Be Over June 11th

Despite over 20 states’ lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), net neutrality will officially be over on June 11, CNN reports. The decision was handed down by the FCC’s chairman, Ajit Pai, who referred to net neutrality’s original guidelines as “unnecessary and harmful internet regulations.” Pai plans to restore “the bipartisan, light-touch approach that served the online world well for nearly 20 years.”

This occurrence has been the talk of Capitol Hill’s town since December. Petitions and protests to protect the internet against corporations’ potential monopoly of a free web have remained consistent. Implemented by the Obama administration in 2015, net neutrality restricted corporations like your current cellular provider from manipulating the speed of your internet or restricting access to certain websites.

While the FCC’s repeal will affect many in the United States, independent artists will also feel the sting since they rely heavily on an open access web.