Overview

A provocative analysis of net neutrality and a call to democratize online communication. This short book is both a primer that explains the history and politics of net neutrality and an argument for a more equitable framework for regulating access to the internet.

Authors' Perspective

Pickard and Berman argue that we should not see internet service as a commodity but as a public good necessary for sustaining democratic society in the twenty-first century.

Key Arguments

They aim to reframe the threat to net neutrality as more than a conflict between digital leviathans like Google and internet service providers like Comcast but as part of a much wider project to commercialize the public sphere and undermine the free speech essential for democracy.

Intended Takeaways

Readers will come away with a better understanding of the key concepts underpinning the net neutrality battle and rallying points for future action to democratize online communication.