In 2013, Internet.org a partnership between Facebook and six tech companies (Samsung, Ericsson, MediaTek, Opera Software, Nokia and Qualcomm) was launched with the intention to bring affordable internet access to developing countries. At the time of its launch, Mark Zuckerberg released a statement on Facebook stating that, There is no guarantee that most people will ever have access to the internet. It isnt going to happen by itself. But I believe connectivity is a human right, and that if we work together we can make it a reality. To date, the partnership has established free internet services in over sixty countries throughout Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Despite this, it has been widely criticized for its violation of net neutrality. Specifically, while the partnership helps develop the appropriate infrastructure and means to achieve accessible, reliable internet, users are restricted in terms of what websites are available. Much of the content and services promoted on the accompanying app named Free Basics are produced by private US companies, such as AccuWeather, BabyCenter (by Johnson & Johnson), ESPN and Bing. The only social network site available is Facebook and there is no e-mail provider. In February 2016, the Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) banned Free Basics from the country arguing, in part, that the violation of net neutrality was indefensible and contrary to the very nature of the internet. The limited number of sites and services available have also raised questions of Facebooks actual motives. While Zuckerberg has repeatedly insisted that Internet.org is not a for-profit endeavor, many have noted that all activity on the app is channeled via Facebooks servers. This provides substantial new avenues for Facebook to gather data about the habits and interests of users in countries where they aspire to have a strong presence, as more users come online, according to Global Voices, a pro-free internet international coalition of journalists, politicians, academics, entrepreneurs, and activists.

2a) For Friedman, in the pursuit of corporate social responsibility, business take on the role of governments effectively taxing the people to fund its own philanthropic ends. One of the major criticisms of Free Basics has been that it leverages the lack of affordable internet connectivity in developing countries to compel countries to accept a very limited internet. Some critics have even gone as far as to claim that their actions constitute a form of digital colonialism with Internet.org serving as a hostile foreign government. Why does Friedman believe social responsibility leads companies to assume the role of a government? Does the case of Internet.org serve as an example of his concern, or does it show how profit maximization can also lead businesses to wield political power over countries? Be sure to justify your response. [10 pts] 2b) Contra Friedman, Arrow argues that social responsibility can help address some of the inefficiencies that profit maximization may create focusing specifically on issues of the environment and information symmetry. However, to be effective, Arrow believes that it must be enacted or enforced via social institutions. Why does he hold this position? Among the various social institutions that Arrow mentions, which do you believe would be the most effective and justifiable in the case of Free Basics, and why? [20 pts] 2c) As mentioned above, much of the criticism of Free Basics has revolved around the tension between humanitarianism and profits. While Zuckerberg insists that the partnership aims at the former, the restrictions of available services and the data collection by Facebook suggest to others that a different set of motivations may be guiding the project. In your view, does it make a moral difference whether Facebook is pursuing this project for humanitarian or profit motivations? Provide

an argument justifying your own stance on this issue. In answering this question, appeal to at least one of the ethical theories and/or frameworks of justice discussed in class