The Internet and ISIL

I think Stephen Colbert hit the nail on the head, as he usually does, when he commented on how certain stories dominate our news cycle. Here’s the link to what I’m talking about, http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/e50viy/intro---10-8-14. He talks about, “the latest in the war against ISIS, then to cheer you up the latest on Ebola. Colbert is satirizing America’s obsession with certain stories that are negative and sensationalized in the media.

ISIL and Ebola. What makes these topics different than others as to deserve them so much coverage over the past several months? I want take this opportunity to explore these stories. In this post I want to explore ISIL and how and why it became such a media wildfire. In another post, I hope to discuss Ebola as well. 

But beginning with ISIL, this terrorist organization caught national attention in August with the brutal decapitation of American journalist, James Foley. To make matters worse, they published a video of this act that proliferated through the Internet. In doing so, this is an organization that has actively sought the attention of the Internet and media. 

On November 16, 2014, ISIL published yet another video message, depicting the beheading of American hostage Peter Kassig, also known as Abdul-Rahman Kassig (here is a link to a story on Kassig http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/11/16/peter-kassig-islamic-state-claims-beheading-syria/19128067/). This makes five westerners who have been beheaded on video messages. 

These examples are to prove something: ISIL is a media monster. From twitter campaigns, to video messages of killings, to recordings from its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi that threaten the U.S. and its allies, it is clear that ISIL is set apart by its ability to use social media and the Internet as a new medium to install terror. They even built a downloadable Android app. 

Above, we mentioned ISIL’s proficiency at using video messages. ISIL’s twitter strategy is also similarly frightening. For one, supporters that download the organization’s app instantly retweet any message sent out by ISIL giving the appearance of broad support. Additionally, the organization often tweets using popular hashtag such as #Worldcup. Thus, by following global Twitter trends ISIL is able to shoot out their message to more and more screens (here is a link explaining ISIL’s social media strategy further http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/06/isis-iraq-twitter-social-media-strategy/372856/#disqus_thread).

 This is how ISIL captured global attention. In the U.S., this combined with our fascination of gruesome imagery is what made ISIL into a story that gained so much attention. At this point I think it is important to take a moment to realize the impact that the Internet has had on this story. There are literally international terrorists using the Internet as a tool for their propaganda. This proves to be another example of the far reaching implications of the Internet and how it is changing our modern day world. 

The New Debate over Net Neutrality

The degree to which your Internet Service Provider or ISP controls your networking is probably more than you realize. The term Net Neutrality is the principle that your ISPs should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favoring or blocking particular products or websites.

To understand the actions of these ISPs I think it helps to use a highway analogy. Companies like AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, or other cable companies provide Internet access but often times partition this access into fast lanes and slower lanes. So when you try to download content from sources like Netflix or Hulu these ISPs get to determine how fast these services reach you.

The National Urban League President Marc Morial is just one of the many that have  expressed his opposition to new Net Neutrality proposals made by the FCC (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-aaron/why-is-the-national-urban_b_6066884.html -- here is a link to a Huffington Post blog on the matter). The problem is that allowing ISPs to control coverage and internet speeds allows for discriminatory practices. This is a new era of discrimination: online discrimination.

Why does this matter? It matters for one reason because companies like Netflix are actually competitors of companies like Comcast battling for the viewership of their audience. Secondly, certain companies can pay these ISPs so that their service reaches you faster.

The impact to the individual is the dreaded......loading screen and obviously because slow connection times turn off consumers from products. But the broader impact however is that these practices, while determined legal by the FCC, are disadvantageous to the interests of smaller companies who cannot afford to pay the Internet tolls of these cable companies.

The Internet in all its wonder is amazing because it is a platform for self expression unlike any seen before in history. The reason this all works though is because of the freedom and accessibility of the Internet. But when the Internet is no longer free and accessible it is no longer what it is meant to be.

The Huffington Post blog also discusses how the loss of real Net Neutrality will make it harder for colored communities and marginalized groups to express themselves. These tend to the be smaller content producers that can't compete in a world dominated by cable companies and their interests.

Yet, at the same time there are organizations such as the National Urban League that works in a close philanthropic relationship with large ISPs. So, now the debate gets even murkier when there are certain civil rights groups that oppose possible Net Neutrality rules.

In the larger picture of things, it seems that individuals like Morial support the idea of open Internet as a concept but still want to empower ISPs to control and discriminate online. This is simply a solution that won't work. Reducing ISPs to “common carriers” meaning they have to serve the public indiscriminately is the only way to ensure a future of real Net Neutrality.

Here is also a video that also helps understand Net Neutrality -- http://youtu.be/2psly3euy78.