Care About Democracy and Economic Growth? Fight for Net Neutrality.

Thinking about the recent tax overhaul that Congress just passed, I have deep misgivings about the future of American society. Adding to this concern, I believe the FCC's plans to repeal Net Neutrality will further stunt civic and economic opportunities for ordinary Americans, and for people around the world. The repeal of Net Neutrality will hamstring opportunities for entrepreneurs, reduce competition and consumer rights and limit the power of citizen voice.

Net Neutrality happens to be a terrible name for something incredibly important - a set of rules that ensures technology remains a tool for openness and freedom in society. Net Neutrality is also central to economic dynamism and organizing power, and by extension, a key ingredient for equity and opportunity among American and global consumers, entrepreneurs and citizens.

Here's a thought exercise on why it matters so much: 

Imagine a vast workshop (the internet), full of incredibly valuable tools, and access to billions of potential customers, allies and partners. This workshop is available for use at very low prices. Barriers to access the workshop, and to use to the workshop to reach an ever-growing number of people worldwide, continue to shrink. Being able to access the tools in the workshop cheaply is a critical part of what helps entrepreneurs build new businesses that provide services and products for Americans and people around the world. Think of Amazon, which, though hard to imagine now, began as a tiny startup aiming to sell books online. The workshop allowed Amazon to grow into the mammoth business it is today. These same tools also enabled existing businesses, like Powell's Books, to start selling online when they face new competitors like Amazon.

This workshop I am describing has a powerful growth and democratizing effect on commerce. Companies like Etsy enable smaller merchants to sell on a platform to grow their own businesses, sometimes becoming a launchpad for even bigger enterprises that have their own websites and sales channels. In the case of Amazon, Etsy and also Ebay, entire ecosystems are built around these platforms. Jobs, income and wealth are created for everyday people as well as for investors.

This workshop also provides access to these tools so that citizens and civic organizations who care about issues can try to shape society - for better or worse depending on the particular views of each citizen. What's especially important is that the workshop is open to everyone who meets accepted standards of behavior. This fosters ongoing discourse – which will be perceived as good, bad and ugly - but is still open discourse, about issues that matter to people around the nation and around the world.

Now, imagine one day when citizens and entrepreneurs show up at this workshop and find that the rules and prices have changed drastically. This is what will happen if Net Neutrality is repealed. The openness and very low prices which kept the playing field relatively level, are now gone. Huge internet service providers like Comcast and Verizon, have control over prices, access and rules. And they have every incentive to raise prices and change rules to benefit themselves and their investors first. In fact, large institutional investors and other investor activists will insist that the companies in control do exactly this to meet their fiduciary responsibilities to shareholders to maximize profits.

So what’s the big deal?

The negative consequences will unfold gradually. Entrepreneurs may stay home or grow businesses more slowly, if they choose to do so at all. Investors in startups will take less risk. Opportunity and openness will dwindle as large companies get to set the rules in ways that benefit them first. And equally disturbing, large internet service providers will also now have control of the levers in the workshop that enable the collective action of citizens to oppose these kinds of behaviors.

In scenario after scenario from this thought exercise, citizens and consumers lose power while big companies consolidate influence and maximize profits - at the expense of economic growth and openness in society. There are some who are unconcerned with repealing Net Neutrality, like the author of this opinion piece in the New York Times.

I respectfully disagree.

We may not necessarily feel the impact immediately, but repealing Net Neutrality is akin to removing some of the stones that make up the foundation of American democracy, global civil society and worldwide economic dynamism.

If you care about these things, please make your voices heard and do it now. This issue may be decided before the end of 2017. Here are a handful of reputable organizations advocating to keep the internet open and accessible, which are worth exploring. If you agree with the thoughts I've shared here, or have your own reasons for maintaining Net Neutrality, please consider how your voice might help one of these groups make a difference in this fight. Of course, you can use the workshop of the internet to mount your own objection as well. At least, for now.

Demand Progress

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Engine

Fight for the Future

About Ben Mangan: Ben is the Executive Director of the Center for Social Sector Leadership at the UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business, where he also serves on the faculty. Ben is also a Senior Fellow at the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program. He is the former President, CEO and Co-founder of EARN. Follow Ben at LinkedIn and Twitter for truth telling about leadership, social impact, and human progress.