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Content Net Neutrality – A Critique

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Luciano Floridi’s Philosophy of Technology

Part of the book series: Philosophy of Engineering and Technology ((POET,volume 8))

Abstract

This Essay takes issue with two prevailing arguments. The first endorses content net neutrality while the second holds that the Internet is a public domain with the widest possible scope for freedom of expression. I argue that some value screening of content may be beneficial to society and that the implications from affording the Internet the widest possible scope can be very harmful. I differentiate between net neutrality and content net neutrality. While I accept the first concept I reject the second for ethical and practical reasons. To fortify my promotional approach against content net neutrality I discuss terrorism and hate speech.

All websites were accessed during December 2010. I am most grateful to Jacqueline Lipton and Jack Hayward for their valuable comments.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    “Network Neutrality,” American Library Association http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/telecom/netneutrality/index.cfm

  2. 2.

    Ibid.

  3. 3.

    Network Neutrality – Guidelines for Internet neutrality (Post-og teletilsynet, February 24, 2009).

  4. 4.

    “FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell Commends Swift Action to Protect Internet Voice Services,” Federal Communications Commission News (March 3, 2005), at http://tinyurl.com/hscav

  5. 5.

    Tim Wu, “Network Neutrality FAQ,” at http://timwu.org/network_neutrality.html

  6. 6.

    “Acceptable Use Policy,” http://www.akamai.com/html/policies/acceptable_use.html

  7. 7.

    http://www.checkpoint.com/products/enterprise/

  8. 8.

    http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/security/Content/Product/Product_SGS.html; http://www.symantec.com/business/products/allproducts.jsp

  9. 9.

    http://www.allot.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2&Itemid=4

  10. 10.

    http://www.packeteer.com/solutions/visibility.cfm

  11. 11.

    Comments of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. In response to the Workshop on the Role of Content in the Broadband Ecosystem,” Before the Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC 20554, In the Matter of A National Broadband Plan For Our Future (October 30, 2009).

  12. 12.

    For information on ‘World Church of the Creator’, see http://www.volksfront-usa.org/creator.shtml; http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/orgs/american/adl/cotc/; http://www.reed.edu/∼gronkep/webofpolitics/fall2001/yagern/creator.html; http://www.adl.org/poisoning_web/wcotc.asp; http://www.apologeticsindex.org/c171.html

  13. 13.

    For instance, Atlas Systems, http://www.atlas-sys.com/products/aeon/policy.html; Elluminate Online Services, http://www.elluminate.com/license_agreement.jsp; Evehosting.co.uk; Host2Host, http://host2host.com/contract.htm

  14. 14.

    http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics

  15. 15.

    http://www.facebook.com/terms.php?ref=pf

  16. 16.

    ADL, Combating Extremism in Cyberspace (2000): 11.

  17. 17.

    http://info.lycos.com/tos.php

  18. 18.

    https://secure.fortunecity.com/order/register/agreement.php?siteid=55527.

  19. 19.

    CDA 47 U.S.C at http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/47/230.html

  20. 20.

    See, for instance, CyberTribunal II at http://www.cybertribunal.org/index.en.html; net-ARB at http://www.net-arb.com/; WPO at http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/arbitration/online/index.html

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Politics, University of Hull, Cottingham, UK

    Raphael Cohen-Almagor

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  1. Raphael Cohen-Almagor
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Bilkent, Ankara, 06800, Turkey

    Hilmi Demir

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Cohen-Almagor, R. (2012). Content Net Neutrality – A Critique. In: Demir, H. (eds) Luciano Floridi’s Philosophy of Technology. Philosophy of Engineering and Technology, vol 8. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4292-5_8

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