No, This Is Not How Portugal Does The Internet

Christine Rousselle | November 24, 2017 10:30 AM

As the debate over net neutrality policies has begun once again, this tweet from California State Rep. Ro Khanna (D) has gone viral on Twitter:

In Portugal, with no net neutrality, internet providers are starting to split the net into packages. pic.twitter.com/TlLYGezmv6
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) October 27, 2017

His follow-up tweets stated that the United States would be looking at something similar if net neutrality were to go away.

This is what's at stake and that's why we have to save net neutrality.
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) October 27, 2017

Small issue: Not only does Portugal have net neutrality, as it's part of the European Union, the image that Khanna tweeted is actually for mobile phone internet plans. Mobile internet plans are, and always have been, completely different from regular cable internet plans used in one's home. Further, those add-on bonuses are a cheaper alternative for adding extra data for those specific apps rather than buying a bigger data plan--not that people are paying extra for the use of those apps or to access those websites.

This dishonest tweet has been picked up and spread, with many people echoing Khanna's claim that Portugal lacks net neutrality and that their standard internet plans are like this image.

Here's our future if Agit Pai and the FCC change #NetNeutrality rules the way they want to...Behold Portugal's internet plans. They don't have net neutrality. pic.twitter.com/qNriCVXOtW
— Aaron J (@flyguy84) November 21, 2017

Thanks everyone who is retweeting this. If you still don't understand what repealing net neutrality means, then imagine internet packages looking like this: https://t.co/Mb6miAOhlr
— Bianca (@runebee) November 21, 2017

Repealing net neutrality is bad for consumers, small businesses, & for transparency.

Imagine an internet where you’re nickle & dimed for using specific sites.

It already exists in Portugal & it will soon be a reality here. ?? pic.twitter.com/6MY5ove6fC
— Millennial Politics (@MillenPolitics) November 21, 2017

Even Business Insider wrote a piece about how this completely bogus tweet could be the sign of things to come in the United States.

Illustrative article re: #NetNeutrality https://t.co/uevutnS3a9
— Joseph Gordon-Levitt (@hitRECordJoe) November 22, 2017

Regardless of a person's thoughts on an issue, it's very important to be honest in presenting arguments either for or against something. This is scaremongering and inaccurate information.