Sept. 10 was the #internetslowdown when many websites shared their opinion on the net neutrality decision that will be made my Tom Wheeler and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Sept. 15.

Net neutrality is the assurance that the internet remains free without effecting loading speeds. Internet service providers, or ISPs, should not be allowed to block or limit websites of their choosing.

Some corporate owned sites like Netflix are against the loss of net neutrality because they would have to pay money to have loading speeds suitable to the needs of their sites. Netflix prices would likely go up if net neutrality were threatened because Netflix is a streaming site that relies on fast loading speeds. They may have to pay extra money to get the speeds they want from ISPs.

The #internetslowdown movement sent the message that many sites do not want to pay “protection money” for faster speeds and that the internet should remain open to all.

If net neutrality is effected or eliminated, some sites may be slowed down to the point where they are unusable or blocked altogether. Students may not be able to access the sites they can normally access.