IFLAStatementonNetNeutralityandZero-rating

IntroductionNetwork neutrality1, or net neutrality, is the principle that all data or traffic on the Internet should betreated equally. Internet users’ freedomof choice should not be restrictedor affected giving preferentialtreatmenttocertaincontent,services,applications,ordevices2.Thequestionofnetneutralityhasemergeddue to twoparallel fears.On theonehand,users fear that, in theabsenceofnetneutrality frameworks,InternetServiceProviders(ISPs)mayimplementunduetrafficmanagement,forinstanceblockingaccesstoordowngradingthequalityofapplicationsprovidingcompetingservices.Ontheotherhand,ISPsarguethatgrowthintrafficonline(forexamplelinkedtouseofvideoorotherdata-intensiveservices) isoutstrippingthecapacityofInternetinfrastructure(wires,mobilenetworks)tocarryit.ThesolutionputforwardbyISPstothisproblemistoplace‘caps’onhowmuchdatacanuse,ortocreate‘fast’and‘slow’lanesfordifferenttypesofcontentorusers.Thereisanadditionaldimensionindevelopingcountries,whereamobileInternetsubscriptionremainsoutofthereachofmany.Inthiscontext,adheringtotheprincipleofnetneutralityorcompromisingit–becomesamajorissueforallinformationusers,andsonaturallyforlibrariesandlibrarians.Zero-rating is thepracticeaccording towhichdata consumptionof specific applicationsor services isnotcountedagainstusers’dataallowance.Severalmajorserviceprovidershaveenteredintoarrangementswithmobilenetworkoperatorsinavarietyofcountriestodeliver“zero-rated”versionsoftheirservices.3Insomecases,thismeansthattheuseofcertainwebsitesorservicesdoesnotcountagainstasubscriber’smonthlydatacap.Inotherarrangements,userscanaccesstheserviceeveniftheydonothaveadataplan.4Zero-rating violates the principle of net neutrality because the services that are zero-rated are positivelydiscriminated, thusallowing ISPs toorientate thechoiceof theusers.Moreover, inspiteof theacclaimedriskthatinfrastructuremaynotbeartrafficgrowth,zero-ratedservicesattractinordinatelevelsoftrafficduetotheirlowornocost.Thisdistortstheconsumptionofcontentandcanleadtothe“walledgardeneffect”whereauser’sexperienceoftheInternetislimitedtothezero-ratedservicesalone.5Whendifferentialpriceandusepatternsoccurindevelopingcountriesthepracticecanfurtherexacerbatetheproblemofthedigitaldivide6.

1Thephrasefirstappearedina2003lawreviewarticle:TimWu,NetworkNeutrality,BroadbandDiscrimination,2J.onTelecommunicationsandHighTechnologyLaw141,141.2ModelFrameworkonNetworkNeutrality(initiatedbytheCouncilofEuropeanddevelopedbytheDynamicCoalitiononNetworkNeutrality).Accessed11February2016.Availableathttp://www.networkneutrality.info/sources.html.3B.J.Ard,BeyondNeutrality:HowZeroRatingCan(Sometimes)AdvanceUserChoice,Innovation,andDemocraticParticipation,75Md.L.Rev.984(2016).4https://www.intgovforum.org/cms/wks2014/index.php/proposal/view_public/208.Accessed11February2016.5ElectronicFrontierFoundation,ZeroRating:WhatItIsandWhyYouShouldCare.Availableathttps://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/02/zero-rating-what-it-is-why-you-should-careAccessedMay25,2016.6SeethePrinciplesonPublicAccessinLibraries,assignedbyIFLAin2016.Availableathttp://www.ifla.org/publications/node/10328,accessed24June2016.AlsotheIFLAInternetManifesto,availableathttp://www.ifla.org/publications/node/224,accessed24June2016.

IssuesforLibraries

FreedomofAccesstoInformation:AvoidingInformationMonopoliesTherighttoseek,impartandreceiveinformationandideas,andobtainequitableaccesstoallcontentis a universal right, and central to the mission of IFLA. As set out in the IFLA Code of Ethics forLibrariansandother InformationWorks7, librarieshaveamission touse themosteffectiveways tomakematerialaccessible,andtoensurethatthisaccessisnotsubjecttobarriersofanykind.Withoutnetneutrality, theabilityof libraries,as informationproviders, iscompromised.The librarywebsitewillnotbeabletocompetewithcommercialinformationandcontentprovidersthathavetheabilitytoofferdifferentiallevelsofservice,atpreferentialpricesorforfreeasa‘zero-rated’service.Inthissituation,librarywebsitesmaybeconfinedtotheslowlaneortothepaidaccessthat,obviously,cannot competewith the zero-ratedaccess. Such situationwouldde facto taxaccess toknowledgewhilesubsidisingcommercialcontent.Furthermore,breachesofnetneutrality compromise libraryusers’ability toaccess information inabalancedfashionmorebroadly8.IntheUN2030Agenda,target16.10callsoncountriesto:

“Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordancewithnationallegislationandinternationalagreements”

Accessto information isaprerequisitetodevelopmentand,consequently,netneutralitymustbestronglyprotected inallcountries.Achoicebetweenzero-ratedaccess that is limitedtocertainservicesversusnoaccess at all is really no choice at all.When private and public actors can unfairly steer people towardscertain servicesandaway fromothers, this risksboth censorshipand consolidating thedominanceof thepowerful.9Finally, the fact of discriminating between different services implies a breach of the privacy of users’communications,giventhattheISP ismonitoringthespecificwebsitesthatarebeingviewed,andcontentthat is being downloaded. This runs counter to IFLA’s InternetManifesto10which states that library usersshouldenjoyconfidentialityintheiruseofresourcesandservices.Inthisregard,IFLAsupportssoundframeworksguaranteeingnetneutrality.IntheInterneteratheprincipleofnetneutralityisaprerequisiteforuniversalandnon-discriminatoryaccesstoinformation.11

FreedomofExpression:EnsuringInformationDiversityFurthertotheimpactofcompromisesonlibrarywebsitesandbroaderfreedomofaccesstoinformation,netneutrality it also poses a challenge to freedomof expression. IFLA affirms the right “to seek, receive andimpart information and ideas through anymedia and regardless of frontiers” as expressed in the UnitedNations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 19). The right to freedom of expression is notdependentontechnologicalcapacityorcapability,andisguaranteedbyinternationalandnationallaws.

7IFLACodeofEthicsforLibrariansandotherInformationWorkers(2012).Availableat:http://www.ifla.org/news/ifla-code-of-ethics-for-librarians-and-other-information-workers-full-version.Accessedon21July2016.8Ibid:‘Librariansandotherinformationworkersarestrictlycommittedtoneutralityandanunbiasedstanceregardingcollection,accessandservice.Neutralityresultsinthemostbalancedcollectionandthemostbalancedaccesstoinformationachievable’.9PhilipChwee,BringinginANewScale:ProposingAGlobalMetricOfInternetCensorship,38FordhamInternationalLawJournal825(2015);DerekE.Bambauer,Orwell’sArmchair,79UniversityofChicagoLawReview863(2012);andRaymondShihRayKu,OpenInternetAccessandFreedomofSpeech:AFirstAmendmentCatch-22,75TulaneLawReview87,125(2000).10IFLAInternetManifesto(2014).Availableat:http://www.ifla.org/publications/node/224.Accessed21July2016.11DanielJoyce,InternetFreedomandHumanRights,26EuropeanJournalInternationalLaw.493(2015)(NewVoices:ASelectionfromtheThirdAnnualJuniorFacultyForumforInternationalLaw);andHannibalTravis,OfBlogs,Ebooks,andBroadband:AccesstoDigitalMediaasaFirstAmendmentRight,35HofstraL.Rev.1519(2007)(Thirty-FifthAnniversaryVolume:ReclaimingtheFirstAmendment:ConstitutionalTheoriesofMediaReform).

The Internet is aprimemeansof communicatingexpression in the information society, and formanyhasbecometheprimarysourceofinformation.AnOpenInternetcanprovideaplatformforalltobeheardandrecognized,12as well as to access and share innovation, for better or for worse without the need fortraditionalgate-keeperssuchaseditorsorexpertreviewers,butwithinthelimitsofnationallaws(e.g.anti-racism,anti-defamation,anti-harassmentlaws).However, this same technology can be used to control and limit exercise of the right of freedom ofexpression through price and service differentiation thatcan distort patterns of content and serviceconsumption.13Without sound protection of net neutrality, only the voices of large and powerful actorswould be available and heard.Without an open Internet the potential exists for the rise of informationmonopoliesthatdestroythediversityofinformationandpointsofview.Theseareessentialfordemocracytoexist.14

RecommendationsWhile there are cases where ISPs can legitimately influence traffic (due to temporary congestion or fornetwork security or integrity, for example), this should only happen in a transparent manner, and suchmeasuresshouldbenecessaryandproportionatetotheachievementofalegitimateaim.Furthermore,itisimportanttostressthatinadequatespeedandcapacitycandisadvantageusersand,therefore,ISPsshouldguaranteeatleastminimumqualitylevelsinconcertationwithnationalregulators.Additionally,thelevelofservice offered or the price charged by ISP should not depend upon the “user, website, platform,application,ormodeofcommunication.”15Inthiscontext,libraryprofessionalsshould

• Participateinpolicydiscussionsregardingnetneutrality:• MakecleartheirsupportforanopenInternet• Explaintouserswhatnetneutralityandzeroratingare,andthechallengestheypose• VerifyiflocalISPsarecompromisingnetneutrality,andmakeusersawareofthis• Advocateforalegalguaranteeofnetneutralityatnationalandregionallevels• CallforrulesobligingISPstobetransparentaboutwhenandhowtheyinfluencetrafficaswellasfor

whatreasonssuchtrafficmanagementisimplemented• Advocateforabanonzero-ratingmobilecontracts• Advocate for reducing the cost of access to the full breadth of the Internetworldwide, including

throughwell-supportedpublicaccessinlibraries• Advocateforpublic investmentsin infrastructureandalternativeInternetaccessstrategiessuchas

communitynetworks

References• IFLACodeofEthicsforLibrariansandOtherInformationWorkers(2012)• TheIFLAInternetManifesto(2014)• UN2030Agenda(2015)

12See,e.g.,Renov.A.C.L.U,521U.S.844(1997):“Throughtheuseofchatrooms,anypersonwithaphonelinecanbecomeatowncrierwithavoicethatresonatesfartherthanitcouldfromanysoapbox.Throughtheuseofwebpages,mailexplodersandnewsgroups,thesameindividualcanbecomeapamphleteer.”521U.S.at870.13MichaelKaranicolas,UnderstandingtheInternetasaHumanRight,10Can.CanadianJournalofLawandTechnology263(2012).14MarcRaboy,MediaandDemocratizationintheInformationSociety,inCommunicatingintheInformationSociety101,114(BruceGirard&SeánÓSiochrú,editors.,2003);andNicolaLucchi,InternetContentGovernanceandHumanRights,16VanderbiltJournalofEntertainment&TechnologyLaw809(2014).15UnlimitedData,butaLimitedNet:HowZero-RatedPartnershipsbetweenMobileServiceProvidersandMusic-StreamingAppsViolateNetNeutrality17ColumbiaScience&TechnologyLawReview204,209(2015).