Web neutrality in danger

Web neutrality is an extension of the original term « network neutrality ».


Network Neutrality describes networks that don't favor some destinations over others, or classes of application (for example the World Wide Web) over others. Whilst the term is new, the basic concept originated in the age of the telegram in 1860 or even earlier, telegrams were routed 'equally' without attempting to discern their contents and adjusting for one application or another. Such networks are "end-to-end neutral."

One interpretation claims that the Internet is not neutral "as among all applications" since the implementation of best effort generally favors file transfer and other non-time sensitive traffic over real-time communications.


One the web, big websites such as eBay, Yahoo or Google would like to prohibit broadband providers from entering into deals that would, let video from one Web site stream faster than another.




Several websites such as savetheinternet.com hardly defend freedom and neutrality on the web. The problem is that more and more companies start to regulate contents feeds by charging them. Ed Whitacre of AT&T (American Telephone and Telegraph Company) recently told Business Week :

« Now what they would like to do is use my pipes free, but I ain't going to let them do that because we have spent this capital and we have to have a return on it. So there's going to have to be some mechanism for these people who use these pipes to pay for the portion they're using. Why should they be allowed to use my pipes? »


Another trend can be observed : recently, several indepedent websites were bought back by investors and companies :

- Google took the control of Youtube
- Rupert Murdoch bought back Myspace.

Rupert Murdoch, one of the richest man in the world

Once money has entered a totally independent platform, it is easy to imagine that return on investment is also part of the deal. Manys ads might appear on those two huge websites. The new owners might restructure youtube and myspace to increase advertising visibility and maybe to offer new services. I would not be astonished to soon see a new premium offer like « download and find faster on youtube for 1$ a month only ».

On one hand, big websites defend neutrality, on the other hand companies take controls of free and independent platforms. Strange but true, Google does both.


Finally, Tim Berners-Lee, the founder of the web characterized the issue as a U.S.-only problem at present. "In Europe, Net neutrality is the rule," he said.

Berners-Lee might be right but how long will it last ? Buying a big community means touching millions of internet users, millions of potential consumers. I think the danger is here, because it is a threat for web neutrality but also for the future of that free network Berners Lee called the web.