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Security Implications of the End of Net Neutrality

March 1, 2018

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A huge amount of ink has been spilled over the FCC decision to roll back Net Neutrality rules.

Many articles analyze which businesses will benefit and which will be harmed by the change, while others look at it from a political perspective. It is critical that we also understand the security implications of changes Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are likely to make under this deregulation.

As a general principle, Net Neutrality holds that the internet should be a passive conduit for data between any endpoints. It should not make any difference to a carrier who is initiating the connection and what service they are using. It is similar to the way utilities provide their services. My water company has no control over what I choose to do with my water, only metering how much of it I use. Before the breakup of AT&T, customers were only allowed to attach AT&T provided phone hardware to their lines. Now anything that meets the standards can be hooked up and are treated equally by the network.

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