By Rep. Jacky Rosen

This week, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is expected to force a vote to repeal net neutrality, a rule that guarantees equal access to a free and open Internet for millions of Americans online. Net neutrality levels the playing field for consumers and prevents big telecommunications corporations and Internet service providers (ISPs) from overcharging consumers for broadband access.

Repealing net neutrality could change the Internet as we know it by allowing ISPs to stop or slow down connectivity. This would harm startups and small businesses, put rural communities at a disadvantage, and force Nevada families to pay more for slower Internet.

Right now, anyone who goes online is able to surf the web at unprecedented speeds. By creating fast and slow lanes, ISPs could charge consumers more for downloads and for streaming, structuring the internet so that those consumers who pay less would experience slower connectivity. This would force consumers to pay more for the services they already enjoy and rely on, giving big corporations the green light to pocket more money at the expense of hardworking families.

Access to a free and open Internet is not only critical to protecting consumers, but it’s vital for the 200,000-plus small businesses in Nevada, many of whom use the Internet on a daily basis to operate online. Roughly 40 percent of Nevada’s workforce is employed by small businesses. Net neutrality currently prevents giant corporations from using Internet speed to promote their own online products - and disadvantage innovative startups. Ending net neutrality would stack the deck against our small businesses by pressuring them to compete with deep-pocketed corporations just to stay afloat.

It’s not just consumers and businesses that would suffer in a world without net neutrality, but also public institutions such as our schools, hospitals, and even our emergency call centers for police and fire departments. Slower broadband services would especially hurt Nevadans living in rural counties, where school superintendents have cited sluggish connection speeds as the reason why students have difficulty even taking a simple test online. Communities that are accessing telemedicine for the first time, including mental health and other diagnostic services, would likely see a rise in costs putting those services at risk of disappearing altogether. Without net neutrality, rural communities, who are often limited to only one Internet service provider, could find themselves at the mercy of a single provider.

The FCC’s role, which was originally intended to provide the necessary oversight on these companies, has shifted to that of an accomplice for big corporations looking to place profits before people. Earlier this year, President Trump signed a congressional resolution nullifying an FCC rule critical to ensuring Internet privacy protections for millions of Americans online. The resolution, which Republicans brought to the floor, rescinded a rule requiring ISPs to obtain a consumer’s permission before selling their private Internet browsing history, financial and medical records, and even their location data. With the FCC rule repealed, your Internet service provider is now able to track every website you visit online and every bit of data collected via apps on your phone and could sell it to the highest bidder without your knowledge or permission.

As someone who has first-hand experience as a computer programmer, I know that keeping privacy protections in place is essential to safeguarding sensitive data from hackers. The more companies have access to your private information, the more susceptible it is to theft. This misguided decision to auction America’s private Internet data is dangerous and led me to introduce my first bill in Congress to restore Internet privacy for millions of consumers online.

Nevada families should not be forced to pay more for slower Internet because big telecommunications corporations want to increase their profits. As the world continues to become interconnected online, we need everyone who cares about these issues to join the fight to preserve net neutrality and keep the Internet free and open.

Rep. Jacky Rosen is a Democrat representing the Third Congressional District in Nevada. She is a candidate for the U.S. Senate.