Maintaining Internet neutrality

Kashmir Times. Dated: 10/3/2015 7:14:56 PM

Engineering monopolistic platforms for access to web world is the thinking of cunning corporate houses to strike a blow to internet neutrality

The manner in which some of the telecommunication companies in India have offered free access to select websites through a controversial plan on their network exposes their monopolistic designs besides dealing a severe blow to the idea of internet neutrality. It is no surprise that the online portal Flipkart had to pull the plug and walk out of the relationship and break its tie up with Bharti Airtel a few days back. In its controversial plan, the Airtel Zero offered free access to select web portals making the net surfers captive to their network while the debate over internet neutrality has been raging in social media when Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) invited suggestions on this account. In fact, majority of the users worldwide and within India have been advocating the idea of providing free access to the people around the world even at a time when there is still a majority of the people, who do not enjoy internet access. If at this stage, internet neutrality is not maintained, the people bereft of this facility or the people in specific regions within India denied access by the governments will never be able to enjoy the benefits of free communication in a democratic world. Coupled with this facility is connected freedom of speech and expression in the social which was sought to be curbed by the successive regimes in India and outside for the reasons best known to those ruling the roost in the corridors of power. The social activism of the people paid in the long run when the Supreme Court of India struck down Section 66A of the Information Technology Act last month maintaining that anything expressed in the social media cannot attract punitive action from the police and government. This helped in protecting the people from harassment by the government agencies because the former expressed their resentment against the acts of omission and commission of the government and those belonging to ruling elite in the nation. It was considered necessary by the SC to maintain freedom of speech and expression in social media.
In the same manner the internet neutrality has to be maintained for the masses who should not be allowed to become hostages to the evil and monopolistic designs of corporate world, who just want to make a quick buck through a captive clientele on their communication network and internet platform. Unfortunately, the corporate destitute who flourish on the doles of the successive governments in India are always busy in maintaining exclusiveness of their business empires for earning more money their monopolistic designs while the government and its agencies act as mute spectators to the whole process. The Flipkart has taken a right decision in choosing out of the platform provided by Airtel Zero for limited and restricted access to people though the online selling portal. The question arises why in the first place, Flipkart decided to join hands with the Airtel on this issue in utter disregard to the general perception of maintaining internet neutrality. It should have borne in mind that its success as one of the leading online selling portal would not have been possible without the internet neutrality that was being practiced in the country till date. It should also be borne in mind that if this was being done in India by Airtel Zero, Reliance and Facebook were also floating similar platforms to corner huge number of net surfers through their platforms for creating a captive market for their business houses. Such an attitude of the corporate houses also smacks of evil designs which may be in store for the innocent and gullible users around the world. Some of the Internet Service Providers (ISP) have been supportive of the idea of maintaining internet neutrality because they also want to grow like other corporate houses which want to build captive platforms, which may deny an access to newer entrants to this field. Somehow, the newer models are designed to garner and build bigger audiences and more readers of their portals in the free market regime. Under these challenges from the monopolistic tendencies, the people are also warned against such attempts aimed at scuttling the internet neutrality which provided free access to new and existing users.

 

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