Net Neutrality

Google and Verizon have been in talks since last year concerning the issue of net neutrality, and just a bit ago, they released a joint statement on their conclusions. There has been much back and forth on who should be allowed to regulate the Internet (the federal government, Internet providers, both, or neither), and today both Google and Verizon have agreed that the Internet should be regulated by the federal government, and your Internet providers should impose fewer restrictions on what you have access to. Their statement is sizable and contains a lot of information, but I'll break it down for you in smaller, easier to digest bites after the jump.

In a decision announced earlier today, a Federal Court of Appeals says the FCC cannot require net neutrality. The decision referred specifically to a case against cable provider Comcast, who was accused of slowing down access to certain sites. In 2008, the FCC issued "net neutrality" rules, meaning all Internet content must be treated equally by network providers. Now, this ruling against neutrality means this is not the case — and that network providers can treat some sites differently than others.

While this decision will curb some illegal file-sharing (this is why the case was brought to court in the first place), it has far-reaching implications. To hear how this ruling could affect you (and your cable bill!), read more