 Data caps are limits set by internet service providers to control the amount of information and entertainment you can access online. ISPs use them to penalize you for daring to use too much internet. A single HD movie is approximately 4 gigabytes of data. A 45 minute video lecture is another half. Uploading vacation photos to Facebook, that's a gigabyte or two right there. Add in some software updates and app downloads, multiply that by a family of four with laptops, smartphones, and other devices, and you'll blow the lid off that data cap pretty quickly. At least in the old days of dial-up, they charged by something you understood, time. Even today's speed-based pricing may test your threshold of patience, but it won't empty your wallet if you guess wrong. With data caps, you may start second-guessing each click you make for fear of overage fees. Data caps limit your ability to explore, innovate, connect, learn, and enjoy the web. So if data caps make using the internet worse, why are ISPs imposing them? Because they can, and they make them a lot of money. Also, many ISPs, double-list cable television providers, and Hulu, YouTube, and Netflix are putting a serious dent in cable TV profits. That's why ISPs are using data caps to make watching video online expensive and push people back to cable. Luckily, there's something you can do about it. Go to don'tcap that.org to find out what you can do to put an end to data caps.