Thursday, in a 3-2 vote, the FCC decided to repeal Net Neutrality.
Following heated debates led by public officials as well as those on social media, the FCC voted to repeal the Obama-era classification that declared the internet as a public utility, and the internet is not reacting kindly to the decision.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Companies in favor of Net Neutrality include Netflix, who tweeted its disappointment with the news. Netflix fans, naturally, had plenty to say about it.
“This decision really hurts. Time to watch ‘A Christmas Prince’ 18 days in a row!” one user tweeted.
This decision really hurts. Time to watch “A Christmas Prince” 18 days in a row!
— Buckly Stephens (@buckly) December 14, 2017
“These are dark times, there’s no denying,” another user wrote.
These are dark times, there’s no denying
— Dayvson Oliveira (@imjustdayv) December 14, 2017
“Taking away #NetNeutrality will hurt innovation and #Telehealth,” one user pointed out.
Taking away #NetNeutrality will hurt innovation and #Telehealth
— Mitchell Collier (@mcpharm) December 14, 2017
People were displeased elsewhere on the internet, as well.
One Twitter user pointed out that he hasn’t “seen a single individual, I’m talking everyday people, in support of the Net Neutrality repeal,” going on to claim that, “The govt is clearly serving big business and special interest with no regard for the people, and they aren’t even trying to hide it.”
I haven’t seen a single individual, I’m talking everyday people, in support of the #NetNeutrality repeal. The govt is clearly serving big business and special interest with no regard for the people, and they aren’t even trying to hide it.
— Rob Markman (@RobMarkman) December 14, 2017
His sentiment was shared by many, who fear that the repeal puts their access to the internet in jeopardy.
What a sad day for the world wide web :'( #NetNeutrality
— Brownies & Lemonade (@TeamBandL) December 14, 2017
Millions of people across the globe have loudly and vocally denounced abolishing #NetNeutrality and 3 greedy individuals get to take that all away.
That. Isn’t. Freedom.
— taylor 🌻✨ (@swiftswriting) December 14, 2017
Why are we talking about #NetNeutrality like it’s about saving memes? Without access to the internet, it’s almost impossible to apply for a job or college or pay your bills. @AjitPaiFCC just made poor people poorer and rich people richer.
— Travis Helwig (@travishelwig) December 14, 2017
Some people masked the pain of the repeal with humor, one claiming that coming out of the Net Neutrality repeal alive won’t be possible.
Between the tax cuts and the repeal of #NetNeutrality pic.twitter.com/q7hAxayFEj
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) December 14, 2017
The year is 2027. It’s the 10 year anniversary of the nuclear war, they just raised the price of social media again, twitter now costs 46$ per tweet. temperatures are set to hit 145 degrees today, and the north pole has melted. #NetNeutrality
— 💤 (@m82ho) December 14, 2017
I’m kind of done with the Internet today which is hilarious because they just voted to kill #netneutrality. So in reality, we’re all kind of done with the Internet. pic.twitter.com/jwshORzRnU
— Ryan Graney (@RyanEGraney) December 14, 2017
Others are determined to continue the fight.
The @FCC voted to roll back #NetNeutality today. History will not be kind to this vote to destroy Internet openness. But this is not over. I’m not stopping here or now–and neither should you. Let’s keep up the fight. Let’s keep raising a ruckus. The future depends on it.
— Jessica Rosenworcel (@JRosenworcel) December 14, 2017
We made our voice heard. We should be proud. Now we use that to make them accountable. They done messed up now. #NetNeutrality pic.twitter.com/Vt1XmKbEdH
— Bwana (@Bwana) December 14, 2017
Okay. So 3-2 and the #NetNeutrality repeal passes through the FCC.
The fight is not over. A free and open internet is not dead. They still have to pass through other courts to fully implement their new rules and now more than ever our voices are important.
Don’t give up.
— ashnichrist (@ashnichrist) December 14, 2017
In 2015, the FCC voted under President Obama to adopt Net Neutrality rules, classifying consumer internet service as a public utility. The FCC adopted no-blocking, no-throttling, and no-paid-prioritization rules, making the web accessible to all people, regardless of financial status.