Net Neutrality
Etymology
Coined by law professor Tim Wu in a 2003 paper, building on the older idea of common carriage — that infrastructure like phone lines must serve everyone equally. The term became the banner of a long policy fight over whether carriers could privilege their own services. Its framing packs an argument into two words: the net should be neutral.
noun phrase · /net noo-TRAL-ih-tee/
The principle that internet providers should treat all data equally rather than favoring or throttling particular sites.
What it names
The rule that keeps the network a level pipe instead of a toll road with fast lanes.
Example
Without net neutrality, your provider could slow a rival’s video service to nudge you toward its own.
Related idea
Net neutrality guards against a carrier turning its pipe into a walled garden, using control of the road to favor destinations it owns.