Abstract

The principle of technology neutrality (PTN) is being used as a starting point for regulation by regulators around the world. While technology neutral ICT regulation is seen as an answer to regulators’ struggles to keep up with fast-paced changes of ICT, also critique towards this principle has been voiced. Here, we report on the results of a scoping review we conducted on literature in three research databases to summarize the current understanding of the benefits and challenges in the context of technology neutral regulation. We contribute to IS research by introducing to the IS community four benefits of and seven challenges related to technology neutral regulation — which has been foremost addressed in legal research so far — and by suggesting three research themes and questions for future IS research on, e.g., technology innovation, the development, adoption and use of technology, and a better theorization of the PTN.