Buzz words like “net neutrality” and “cyber surveillance” are often heard and seen in the media, along with various bills referred to by various acronyms. What does it all mean, and why should you care?
Canadians have long enjoyed relatively open and free access to Internet. One of the most important aspects of the Internet is the information and ideas that it has provided to billions of people worldwide. The Internet has been a catalyst for social and political change, spreading concepts and ideas around the globe in a short period of time, and has even had a role in helping take down oppressive regimes. It is where free speech and innovation are king.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) developed a framework in 2009 which guides Internet service providers (ISPs) on accepted Internet Traffic Management Practices (ITMPs).
This framework attempts to balance the interests of both ISPs and consumers. ISPs want to control Internet traffic to prevent things like piracy and illegal streaming from congesting their infrastructure, while consumers want private and open access to online content without discrimination through censorship or speed throttling. This is called net neutrality, and it is what many people believe make the Internet as valuable as it is today.
The CRTC’s framework stipulates that ISPs must be transparent and allow open access to the Internet in order to allow innovation and competition to thrive. Internet traffic cannot be discriminated against regardless of its content, use, platform, or source.
The only acceptable use of ITMPs are in instances of temporarily protecting the security and integrity of networks.
