Ethics Newsline®

WASHINGTON
An emerging Internet technological and business framework that would vary the prices Internet service providers (ISPs) charge based on the type of communication being transacted is raising eyebrows among those who view the practice as unethical and a violation of privacy, according to press reports.

Globe & Mail reporter Jack Kapica notes that the technology, known as “bandwidth shaping,” would allow providers to sell priority access based on the particular user’s activity. Customers who use the Internet for phone calls, for example, could be charged a “quality of service” fee to ensure a good connection.

Kapica notes that a new technique called “deep packet inspection” allows ISPs to detect whether users are surfing recreationally or transferring large files.

Once traffic is categorized, paying customers can elect to be put on the fast lane.

The concept is at the core of an increasingly heated ethical debate, noted a report in the Ottawa Citizen. Some argue that bandwidth shaping is a necessity on an increasingly crowded Internet, but others contend that providing better service for customers with deep pockets will relegate startup firms to the Internet’s back roads, plagued by slow service and unreliable connections — a process that will eventually kill off innovation. They also contend that the content being transmitted on the Internet should not be subject to electronic inspection by the service provider.

The status quo — offering the same transmission speed to all comers — is increasingly referred to as “Net neutrality.”

Congress is exploring the Net neutrality issue, PBS reported, trying to decide whether to let ISPs offer tiers of service for premium fees or whether there should be an outright prohibition of the practice.