net neutrality

Definition of net neutrality

: the idea, principle, or requirement that Internet service providers should or must treat all Internet data as the same regardless of its kind, source, or destination … a philosophical contest that's being fought under the banner of "net neutrality," a slogan that inspires rhetorical devotion but eludes precise definition. Broadly, it means everything on the Internet should be equally accessible—that the Internet should be a place where great ideas compete on equal terms with big money.— Sarah Rabil

Examples of net neutrality in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That would give the FCC authority not only to restore the net neutrality rules that the FCC jettisoned in 2017, but to regulate rates as well, something the Obama-era FCC declined to do. — Wired, "Bernie Sanders Says Internet Service Should be a Human Right," 6 Dec. 2019 Even something as theoretically anodyne and broadly popular as net neutrality is a partisan football these days, endlessly kicked, carried, and thrown back and forth. — Kate Cox, Ars Technica, "Antitrust 101: Why everyone is probing Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google," 5 Nov. 2019 Facebook managed to defy net neutrality rules by claiming this to be a charitable act. — Payal Arora, Quartz, "The biggest myths about the next billion internet users," 5 Nov. 2019 After the 2016 election, net neutrality became one of President Donald Trump’s first targets as part of broader government deregulation. — Marcy Gordon, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Court: FCC can dump net neutrality, but can’t bar state laws," 1 Oct. 2019 With the backing of the FCC's two other Republicans, Pai secured a repeal of the government's net neutrality rules in 2017. — Anchorage Daily News, "Appeals court largely upholds FCC’s cancelling of net neutrality rules," 1 Oct. 2019 Thune’s proposal falls short of what net neutrality advocates favor. — Klint Finley, WIRED, "Senate Approves Measure to Save Net Neutrality," 16 May 2018 Oregon already has a law designed to encourage net neutrality. — oregonlive, "Appeals court affirms Trump’s rollback of net neutrality," 1 Oct. 2019 Warren wants the Federal Communications Commission to restore net neutrality and require more accurate and detailed reports from ISPs — another issue that’s been widely discussed among tech policy experts. — Adi Robertson, The Verge, "Elizabeth Warren proposes $85 billion grant for expanding rural internet access," 7 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'net neutrality.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

12 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Net neutrality.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/net%20neutrality. Accessed 17 January 2020.