Welp, it’s official. The FCC has voted to eliminate net neutrality, the 2015 provision preventing internet providers from slowing down, speeding up, or blocking service and/or charging customers more to access certain websites or perform certain actions online.

According to TechCrunch, “The vote was 3 to 2 along party lines, with Chairman Ajit Pai and Republican Commissioners Brendan Carr and Michael O’Rielly voting in favor of the order, and Democratic Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel voting against.”

The decision comes after a deliberate attempt on the part of internet users and online business owners to convince government representatives to consider the harmful impact revocation of net neutrality could have on consumers’ wallets and the livelihood of those who rely on net neutrality.

So what does this mean for consumers? TechCrunch speculates:

Eliminating regulations essentially means ISPs [internet service providers] can continue charging consumers for access to the internet while simultaneously charging institutions for prioritized access to those customers. This means any organization without deep enough pockets to pay an ISP’s ransom will load much slower than those with ties to ISPs.

Additionally, this would allow ISPs to favor companies and sites they own, blocking users’ access to those they don’t. As The Washington Post reports:

For example, under the net neutrality rules Verizon was not allowed to favor Yahoo and AOL, which it owns, by blocking Google. In addition, Verizon was not be [sic] allowed to charge Google extra fees in order to connect to Verizon customers. Under the new rules, that type of behavior would be legal, as long as Verizon disclosed it.

Not only could this spell disaster for people who make a living on the internet and rely on net neutrality for fair access to all consumers, but it also means customers could expect to see an increase in internet provider rates for the privilege of accessing their favorite online haunts:

Some analysts say affected content companies could pass any new network costs to Internet users, and that Internet providers will develop new ways to market Internet service that could lead to higher prices.

While the elimination of net neutrality has its supporters — most of whom argue that the government has no business regulating the internet and that ISPs weren’t throttling or blocking access before 2015 and won’t begin to now, among other things — many opponents argue supporters’ reasoning is flawed, emphasizing that the fallout of such a decision will likely have far-reaching and negative impacts on both customers and businesses alike.

We certainly didn’t need another bit of bad news to add to our already burgeoning pile this year, but alas, here we are.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to binge-watch Netflix and surf the recesses of the ‘net before it costs me an arm and a leg to do so.