How does net neutrality protect your information? Do they connect everyone into something?

Net neutrality law focuses on regulating and/or preventing three main practices:

Blocking: ISPs cannot block or prevent access to any lawful content on the web.

Paid prioritization: Providers cannot prioritize companies or consumers who pay a premium for a “fast lane” and keep those who don’t pay in a “slow lane.”

Throttling: Providers cannot limit your bandwidth or slow your connection based on your internet activities.

Without net neutrality or other laws protecting equal content, ISPs could, in theory, block certain websites and favor others. For example, your internet provider could theoretically make Netflix slower in order to push you towards its cable TV service.

Or, Xfinity could allow their subscribers to stream Peacock content (which they own through NBCUniversal) for free, while charging subscribers for watching Netflix. With net neutrality, you would have free and equal access to both Peacock and Netflix.

Another example would be your ISP slowing your connection every time you try to game over Twitch, but speeding it back up again when you’re not gaming, a practice known as throttling.

Explanation:

Net neutrality rules prevent this by requiring ISPs to connect users to all lawful content on the internet equally, without giving preferential treatment to certain sites or services. In the absence of net neutrality, companies can buy priority access to ISP customers.