Ethics and Net Neutrality Case Study

This assignment delves into the complex ethical considerations surrounding net neutrality. It examines the decision to support an open internet through various ethical lenses: utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, and contract ethics. The essay argues that net neutrality promotes societal well-being by ensuring equal access to information and resources online.

ITC506 Assignment 3 Name of the Student (SID of the
Student)
ITC506 - Assignment 3
Essay title: Open Internet Net Neutrality
Name: <Name of the Student>
SID: <SID of the Student>
Lecturer: <Name of the Lecturer>
Word count: 1300 words
1

ITC506 Assignment 3 Name of the Student (SID of the
Student)
Contents
ITC506 - Assignment 3...................................................................................................................1
Introduction..................................................................................................................................3
Summary of the Case Study........................................................................................................4
Utilitarianism...............................................................................................................................5
Deontology..................................................................................................................................6
Virtue ethics.................................................................................................................................7
Contract ethics.............................................................................................................................8
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................9
Reference List............................................................................................................................10
2

ITC506 Assignment 3 Name of the Student (SID of the
Student)
Introduction
Orientation
Ethics is the type of philosophy that deals with and analyses moral issues of situations by
establishing concepts and judging whether a conduct is right or wrong (Dewey, 2016).
Ethics is an important aspect for the Information and Communications Technology
professionals. They are responsible for the privacy and security of different organizations and
their clients as they directly handle sensitive data. Thus, they must be honest and competent to
challenge any improper or unethical use of technology.
Thesis
The ICT professionals handle sensitive data and they are responsible for ensuring that the
net neutrality is maintained. Open Internet means that every website whether legal or illegal is
available for access to the Internet users (Federal Communications Commission., 2015).
Arguments
This essay includes a case study on net neutrality in European countries where it was
mandated by law that every European should have full access to the Internet and all the legal
content provided by it (Open Internet, 2018).
The ethical theories that will be used to analyse the case study are Utilitarianism,
Deontology, Virtue Ethics and Contract Ethics.
Some ISP professionals have over-stepped the boundaries of ethics by being partial
towards some websites and Internet services by accepting monetary or other incentive. The
3

ITC506 Assignment 3 Name of the Student (SID of the
Student)
authorities must oversee proper execution of the laws being passed favouring open internet
needs.
Summary of the Case Study
The case study shows that net neutrality is a major issue in the European countries as the
internet service providers (ISP) showed partiality towards internet traffic. They used to slow
down, block and speed up traffic. Creating laws supporting open internet is thus ethical, as they
would open up the Internet to the common people at low cost.
Figure 1: Net Neutrality in the EU
(Source: Open Internet, 2018)
The ethical issues related to ICT and net neutrality are regulation of the Internet and
social inclusion. The Internet traffic is freely regulated by the ISPs and the society or rather the
4

ITC506 Assignment 3 Name of the Student (SID of the
Student)
Internet users were not at all aware that their traffic was being controlled. The speed of their
favourite websites were lowered and they had to pay extra money in order to get the speed that
they actually deserved in the first place.
The ICT professionals who were involved in creating net neutrality presented the
application of ethical values. The laws that were passed showed that the professionals were
virtuous and had a high ethical conscious.
Utilitarianism
Point and detail
Utilitarianism is applied to the case study as the outcome of the net neutrality laws gave
immense pleasure to everyone who benefitted from open internet (Mulgan, 2014).
The theory of ethics that analyses the utility of the decisions taken is called Utilitarianism
(Barrow, 2015). The main characteristics of Utilitarianism is that the benefits that human beings
and other living animals that benefit as a result to the decisions taken.
Evidence
Utilitarianism supports that the decisions taken is right as long as utility is maximised for
the involved parties is maximized (Open Internet, 2018). The Internet users were benefitted from
the open internet initiative as the laws and regulations asserts that the ISPs provide impartial
service to the users and that they would not regulate any traffic. Any special service provided by
them would not include any of the basic access that the users are entitled.
5

ITC506 Assignment 3 Name of the Student (SID of the
Student)
Analysis
Utilitarianism is helpful in providing an understanding of the case study as it describes
that the decisions taken by the ICT professionals to execute net neutrality is in fact in accordance
to the utility concerns of the internet users.
Recommendations would include the involvement of special services like faster and safer
internet to the users who would be charged a very small amount for receiving such a service.
Usually the security of the users depends on themselves but with this extension of services, the
some of the security services would be provided by the network providers.
Deontology
Point and detail
Deontology is applied to the case study as the laws and regulations supporting net
neutrality were passed irrespective of considering the people that were going to be affected.
Deontology is a type of ethical theory where the actions are considered right as long as
the people would do the same thing to themselves as they did to others (Bentham, 2014). The
main characteristics would thus include that even if the consequence were considered bad and
harmful to someone or the society in general, the actions would still be ethical.
Evidence
Deontology is not shown in the case study, as it is unclear that whether the ICT
professionals who decided to implement the net neutrality would still support the laws if they
were the ISPs instead (Open Internet, 2018).
6

ITC506 Assignment 3 Name of the Student (SID of the
Student)
Analysis
Deontology is not helpful in understanding the case study, as it is unclear that whether the
ICT professionals would support the decisions on net neutrality. The ISPs make a huge amount
of money every year by prioritizing some traffic and denying others. Thus, the decision taken by
the ICTs cannot be judged as good or bad in terms of Deontology.
Recommendation would include that the ISPs are told to show some reasons as to why
they were manipulating Internet traffic.
Virtue ethics
Point and detail
Virtue Ethics is applied in this case study as it signifies that the ICT professionals were of
virtuous mind and character
Virtue Ethics can be defined as the type of ethics that focuses on the virtues of character
and mind (Van Hooft, 2014). The main characteristics of this ethics would be that it portrays the
thinking capabilities of the decision-makers and that whether the decision they have taken is
right or wrong.
Evidence
The virtues of the mind is focussed here and the decision-makers thought that net
neutrality is one of the basic rights in this digital age. People must be able to visit any site they
want without being charged extra money (Open Internet, 2018).
7

ITC506 Assignment 3 Name of the Student (SID of the
Student)
Analysis
Virtue Ethics establishes the fact that the law makers of the net neutrality initiative is of
virtuous mind and high moral standards (Jayawickreme et al., 2014). They could have focussed
on some other issues that would benefit them directly, but they chose to resolve the issues about
open internet instead.
It is recommended that the professionals responsible for the successful implementation of
net neutrality should respond to every single social issue with the same resolve in the future. This
would prevent people from questioning their motives in the net neutrality case.
Contract ethics
Point and detail
Contract Ethics is applied to this case study as the contractual agreement between the
political agendas and the society is highlighted in this case study.
Contract Ethics signifies there exists a contractual agreement or bond between different
sections of the society and the political entities that promotes survival (Mizzoni, 2017). The main
characteristics includes the untold understanding between the people of the society and the
different laws and agendas that are applied by the political bodies of the society. These political
entities provides administration and ensures that the society does not degrade and survives as a
whole
Evidence
8

ITC506 Assignment 3 Name of the Student (SID of the
Student)
The main characteristics of contract ethics highlights the fact that there is an untold
understanding between the political entities and the society. In this case study, it is seen that the
political entities fulfil that duty by supporting net neutrality before the situation goes out of
control. There are evidences of people not taking the agenda’s against open internet lightly
(Open Internet, 2018).
Analysis
Contract Ethics is very helpful in giving an overview of the scenario on net neutrality by
showing that the political agendas have fulfil the necessities of the society.
It is recommended that the different political entities of on nation unite to form better
policies for supporting the society. Cases similar to net neutrality might become obsolete if that
happens.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that the Internet users have the right to access to any website
they want without being barred by any external entity. Utilitarianism has been applied by
showing that the decision for open Internet has maximum utility and low downsides. Deontology
has been applied by showing that the ICTs might not support net neutrality if they were the ISPs
instead. Virtue ethics has been implemented as the decision-makers were of virtuous mind and
contract ethics shows the bond between society and political entities. This essay will conclude
with a final recommendation that ethics should be judged from different frames of perspectives
and only then can an optimum solution be achieved.
9

ITC506 Assignment 3 Name of the Student (SID of the
Student)
Reference List
Barrow, R. (2015). Utilitarianism: A contemporary statement. Routledge.
Bentham, J. (2014). Deontology; or, The Science of Morality.: In two volumes. Adegi Graphics
LLC.
Dewey, J. (2016). Ethics. Read Books Ltd.
Federal Communications Commission. (2015). The Open Internet. FCC. gov.
Jayawickreme, E., Meindl, P., Helzer, E. G., Furr, R. M., & Fleeson, W. (2014). Virtuous states
and virtuous traits: How the empirical evidence regarding the existence of broad traits
saves virtue ethics from the situationist critique. School Field, 12(3), 283-308.
Lehr, W., Kenneally, E., & Bauer, S. (2015). The Road to an Open Internet is Paved with
Pragmatic Disclosure & Transparency Policies.
Mizzoni, J. (2017). Ethics: the basics. John Wiley & Sons.
Mulgan, T. (2014). Understanding utilitarianism. Routledge.
Open Internet. (2018). Digital Single Market. Retrieved 9 January 2018, from
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/policies/open-internet-net-neutrality
Van Hooft, S. (2014). Understanding virtue ethics. Routledge.
10