Internet Neutrality: A Battle Between Law and Ethics

In 2016, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India issued the Prohibition of Discriminatory Tariffs for Data Services Regulations. It favours the principle of internet neutrality. This principle suggests that all data on the internet should be treated equally without discrimination by user, content, site, etc. The objective of this paper is to justify the idea that internet neutrality cannot ensure equality in the ethical sense. Net neutrality can only maintain technological equality. The author proposes the argument that technological equality is not the same as ethical equality. Treating all content, which is not homogenous, equally leads to unethical activities. It hampers an individual’s relationship with his or her society and, thereby, blocks the foundation for social justice. Accordingly, the neutrality principle ignores the idea of social justice and fails to protect human rights. Hence, it cannot be ethically justifiable in its present form.

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