Net neutrality

Net neutrality is the principle that internet service providers should treat online data without discriminatory favoritism or blocking. It opposes practices such as throttling or prioritizing traffic based on its source, destination, or content.

Traffic shaping: The deliberate management of data flows to control their rate, timing, or priority across a network. It can manage congestion, but selective shaping can disadvantage particular services.
End-to-end principle: A network design principle that places application-specific functions at the endpoints rather than inside the network core. It helped keep internet providers from deciding which applications could succeed.
Common carrier: A provider legally required to offer service to the public on nondiscriminatory terms. Common-carrier status is one legal model for imposing neutrality obligations.
FCC Open Internet Order of 2015: A Federal Communications Commission order that classified broadband as a telecommunications service and adopted enforceable open-internet rules. It established strong federal protections against blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization.
Deep packet inspection: A network technique that examines packet contents or metadata beyond basic routing information. It can let providers classify traffic for blocking, throttling, or prioritization.
Tim Wu: An American legal scholar who introduced the term “network neutrality” in a 2003 paper. His work gave the principle its influential name and policy framework.
Title II of the Communications Act: The portion of U.S. communications law that governs common carriers, including telecommunications services. The FCC used Title II authority to support its 2015 neutrality rules.
FCC Restoring Internet Freedom Order: A 2017 FCC order that repealed the federal 2015 net-neutrality rules and reclassified broadband as an information service. Its repeal shifted federal policy toward transparency and market competition.
Quality of service: Methods for managing network performance by assigning traffic different priorities or service guarantees. Its priority rules raise the question of which traffic distinctions are permissible.
Internet access: The ability to connect to the internet through an internet service provider or other network. Net neutrality disputes concern how providers control this essential connection.

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