Any video game fan who prefers to play online can attest to the importance of a good Internet connection. Ethernet cables and reliable Internet providers are crucial to having a good gaming experience on console and PC alike. With a weak connection, downloading games and updates can be exhausting or even impossible. The same is true for actually playing games online. There's no better way to bring a match of League of Legends or CS:GO to a grinding halt than losing Internet connection. That's why net neutrality is such an important issue.
Luckily for supporters of net neutrality, United States President Joe Biden is seemingly on their side. President Biden recently signed an executive order that asks US agencies that regulate the Internet to start working on several policies favoring Internet users. Protecting net neutrality and ensuring reliable, accessible Internet for all Americans is at the heart of the executive order. In a modern world that's hugely reliant on the Internet, President Biden's executive order is a big deal for everyone, but gamers specifically will get a lot out of the provisions that Biden wants the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to work on.
Biden Protects Net Neutrality
For those unfamiliar with it, net neutrality is the belief that Internet provides should treat all data on the Internet the same way, rather than providing faster access to some websites over others. Without net neutrality laws in place, companies like Verizon, Comcast, or AT&T could choose to essentially block access to certain sites, or at least make them extremely impractical to use. Supporters of the idea fear that such companies could harm consumers by choking them out of Internet service and pressuring them into buying more expensive Internet packages. Net neutrality blew up as an issue in 2017 when then-FCC Chairman Ajit Pai campaigned in favor of repealing it, and eventually voted to do so.
President Biden, however, clearly doesn't agree with former Chairman Pai, because his new executive order aims to undo the FCC's net neutrality repeal. When these laws are back in place, Internet providers will lose the freedom to decide how accessible parts of the Internet are, protecting consumers' freedom to go online. What's more, Biden's executive order supports creating more options for Internet packages and protects consumers' right to choose their Internet provider.
Online gamers tend to feel strongly about their Internet provider - after all, an Ethernet cable can only do so much if the Internet provider's broadband is weak to begin with. Freedom of choice should help gamers get the most out of their favorite multiplayer titles. What's more, with net neutrality laws back in place, Internet companies won't have the potential to get in the way of game servers, ruining the player's experience to try to make them buy more expensive packages. It's no surprise that video game fans were a major source of the backlash when Pai previously spoke in favor of abolishing net neutrality.
Biden's Executive Order Reaches Far
Net neutrality is only one issue that President Biden tackled in the new executive order, a lot of other important tech issues came up. For instance, the executive order stands in favor of the consumer's "right to repair." In other words, Biden's order includes provisions that give consumers greater rights to get their electronics repaired. This is a huge boon both for tech-savvy gamers and repair shops that'd like to help out. If a gaming PC breaks down or a Switch's Joy-Con drifts beyond use, gamers might soon have more opportunity to consult independent tech repair experts and get their equipment back in shape. Previous rules allowed manufacturers to prevent consumers getting their products repaired by other groups, but now there's hope gamers can look into more local repair options.
Biden's executive order also asks questions about tech company mergers and consumer privacy. Gamers who want more choice in Internet providers should be glad to know that Biden is interested in scrutinizing mergers in order to promote competition between these providers and other tech companies, which will ideally result in better prices and more product options. The order goes on to consider data collection and free products, which will almost certainly involve looking at free-to-play mobile games that collect data for advertisers. Privacy-minded gamers will appreciate better protection of their data from apps like these. Bigger free-to-play games such as Valorant and Apex Legends that make their profits on cosmetic sales instead of ads don't seem to be the order's focus, but considering what it aims to change so far, Biden could later support an effort to examine prices for cosmetics and battle passes.
Video Games and Internet Are Inseparable
Good Internet connection can make or break a video game. Certain games like Diablo 3 require players to connect to the Internet, even in single-player, meaning bad connections can even make solo games unplayable. Communities for multiplayer games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate have only been able to remain active during the COVID-19 pandemic because they can play together online. It's not just fans that are impacted by how reliable the Internet is, either. Professional streamers on Twitch and YouTube content creators count on good Internet to do their jobs. If an entertainer can't uphold a stream or upload a video, they're in serious trouble.
There's no understating how important it is that President Biden wants to restore net neutrality and keep Internet providers in line. If the executive order's provisions get resolved, gamers won't have to worry about companies like Comcast pressuring them into more expensive Internet packages if they want to play Fortnite, World of Warcraft, Destiny 2, or any other online multiplayer game without lagging and losing connection. Biden is only a few months into his term, so one wonders if this is only the start of a series of policies that will reinforce Internet consumer rights and bolster gamers. With more than three years left to go, people should keep an eye on President Biden's Internet policies.