Experience a Web without Net Neutrality in Chrome

Martin Brinkmann
May 29, 2017
Google Chrome
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Removal of Net Neutrality Simulator is a free browser extension for Google Chrome that lets you experience the Web without Net Neutrality.

The extension has been designed to show to anyone who installs the extension, but specifically Internet users from the United States, how their own Internet experience might be impacted if Net Neutrality is terminated.

This extension shows you what the ramifications of this decision would be by slowing all websites except for "sponsored sites", and blocking content those sites' competitors' websites.

With Net Neutrality, all Internet traffic is equal. What this means is that Internet Service Providers (or governments) may not prioritize or regulate traffic based on criteria such as content, service, users or means of communication.

Without Net Neutrality, ISPs could ask companies to pay up for fast connectivity, slow down connections to competing companies, or even block traffic to sites or services entirely.

Removal of Net Neutrality Simulator

net neutrality simulator

Removal of Net Neutrality Simulator is a Chrome extension that tries to simulate a Web in which Net Neutrality does not exist.

If you break it down to the core, you will experience the following: some sites will load quickly like they have before, others won't, and you will spend more time loading those sites. Finally, you may notice that you cannot access some sites at all anymore.

The Chrome extension needs to run in the background for it to work on all sites you open in the web browser. Chrome displays a notification on top of any page you open in the browser: "Removal of Net Neutrality Simulator" is debugging this browser.

You can click on cancel to stop the extension from doing that, or click on the x-icon instead to hide the notification. Note that it will come back though once you start to load more sites in the browser.

youtube error

You may get error messages on select sites. These have been selected for maximum impact it appears, and include the likes of YouTube and Wikipedia.

While you only get a notification on Wikipedia, the YouTube page states that the site does not work properly, and that users should use Vimeo instead.

Verdict

Removal of Net Neutrality Simulator has been designed to demonstrate to Internet users what the termination of Net Neutrality could mean. The developers have picked popular sites for maximum effectiveness, and most users would probably agree that an Internet like this is not desirable at all.

The extension may install in other Chromium-based browsers such as Vivaldi or Opera as well, and may work in Firefox on top of that.

This is not something that you want to run for a prolonged period of time, but that you may use to educate users on the concept of Net Neutrality.

Summary
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4 based on 14 votes
Software Name
Removal of Net Neutrality Simulator
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Browser
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Comments

  1. Yuliya said on May 30, 2017 at 11:35 am
    Reply

    American Internet Simulator 2017 (:

  2. Anatoly Nechaev said on May 30, 2017 at 12:18 am
    Reply

    We also need an extension, that would show effects of “net neutrality”, like blocking “unlawful content’, right?
    I mean, i don’t, i live in Russia, we get that blocking every day. But hey, whatever floats your boat.

  3. Peter said on May 29, 2017 at 11:22 pm
    Reply

    Better than Pocket.

  4. Howard said on May 29, 2017 at 8:16 pm
    Reply

    “This extension shows you what the ramifications of this decision would be by slowing all websites except for “sponsored sites”, and blocking content those sites’ competitors’ websites.”

    And how do people who pit this together decide what actions people will actually do as opposed to be allowed ?
    Just think of all the bad things that could/would be said to others under freedom of speech if not for speech neutrality.

  5. HK-Rapper said on May 29, 2017 at 7:28 pm
    Reply

    Rated 4/5: There is one thing the extension cannot simulate.

    When the FedGovs knock at your doorstep and incarcerate you for having an opinion. Reminder that Germany is currently trying to implement a law that will censor free speech on all social media.

    1. kalmly said on May 30, 2017 at 2:31 pm
      Reply

      Thought it was England.

      1. anon said on July 12, 2017 at 8:52 pm
        Reply

        It’s both.

    2. N00b said on May 30, 2017 at 11:54 am
      Reply

      Source/proof?

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