Being an online marketer, it is essential to know what is happening to the Internet and the kind of regulations being put on the service. Last week, the FTC voted to discard net neutrality rules that prevented broadband providers from slowing sites or demanding payments from them for fast delivery. This will positively affect the U.S. consumers. To help everyone know what net neutrality is, HubSpot columnist Amanda Zantal-Wiener has answered the following five questions. What is net neutrality? What is Title II? What are the arguments for net neutrality? What are the arguments against net neutrality? Is... [...]

MOZ team says, “Net neutrality is a hot-button issue lately, and whether it’s upheld or not could have real ramifications for the online marketing industry. In this Whiteboard Friday, Rand covers the potential consequences and fallout of losing net neutrality. Be sure to join the ensuing discussion in the comments!”. Why Net Neutrality Matters for SEO and Web Marketing MOZ  [...]

Nash Riggins says, “President Donald Trump’s new administration has allegedly signed off on a policy approach that could completely remake the Federal Communications Commission and reverse net neutrality rules for online businesses. Last February, the FCC produced a landmark ruling that declared the Internet was a utility, and that access consequently could not be prioritized to favor certain web content. According to the federal agency, such a prioritization — say for those able to pay a higher fee — would break net neutrality rules. The need for that decision arose after service providers... [...]

Samantha Murphy Kelly says, “Facebook is opening up its Internet.org platform to developers as a part of a greater initiative to bring connectivity to the 4 billion people worldwide without access to the Internet. CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in a video message and an official blog post on Monday that the company is opening up its platform to developers who can create and build more apps to support it. SEE ALSO: Facebook’s drone prototype has wingspan greater than a Boeing 737 Previously, Internet.org worked with a limited handful of partners and services — like Wikipedia, job... [...]

Karissa Bell says, “Mark Zuckerberg took to Facebook to defend Internet.org against claims the program conflicts with net neutrality, saying the two principles “can and must coexist.” In the lengthy post, Facebook’s founder and CEO said he supports net neutrality and reiterated the value of providing Internet access — even if it’s limited — to people in developing countries. Zuckerberg’s remarks come just days after Internet.org made headlines when a number of prominent Indian companies withdrew their support for the program. Internet.org is Zuckerberg’s... [...]

Amy Schatz says, “Two weeks after the Federal Communications Commission adopted controversial new net neutrality rules for Internet lines, the agency finally released the text to the public Thursday morning. The release promptly caused the FCC’s famously delicate website to crash, as advocates, lawyers and opponents rushed to download the 400 pages of rules. It was soon back up, however, just in time for Republican FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai to post new summaries explaining why he hates the new rules and why they will be thrown out in an inevitable legal challenge”. FCC Finally... [...]

Adriana Lee says, “A landmark vote Thursday morning by the Federal Communications Commission ruled in favor of upholding net neutrality. In other words, Internet providers will not be permitted to slow, block or prioritize online traffic in exchange for fees. And they are not too happy about this. “The action that we take today is an irrefutable reflection of the principle that no one, whether government or corporate, should control free and open access to the internet,” FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said regarding the decision, which will, for the first time, apply net neutrality protections... [...]

Mashable team says, “The FCC on Thursday voted to enact strict regulation on companies that connect people to the Internet. The regulation will prevent those companies from striking deals that give preferential treatment to content providers. For example, under these rules Netflix can’t pay Comcast for faster access to customers — and Comcast can’t force Netflix to do so.“. Net neutrality wins Mashable  [...]

Amy Schatz says, “Activists on both sides of the nasty political fight over new rules for Internet lines suited up for one last skirmish Wednesday as Federal Communications Commission officials made final tweaks to a plan expected to be approved Thursday. Irritated House Republicans held the latest in a series of hearings Wednesday morning to complain about FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s proposal, which would re-regulate Internet lines under rules written for phone networks to give the FCC clear authority to be an Internet traffic cop. A separate hearing — on whether the White House inappropriately... [...]

Amy Schatz says, “Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler officially proposed tough new rules for Internet lines Wednesday, regulations he said would prohibit wired and wireless broadband providers from “paid prioritization and the blocking and throttling of lawful content and services.” The long-awaited proposal represents an about-face for Wheeler. He had previously proposed weaker rules, which were widely panned by net neutrality advocates, Internet companies and Democratic politicians — including President Obama — who wanted the agency to take more definitive... [...]