Should Governments Regulate The Internet?

Countries disagree on government Internet regulation
Nov 2010
by Robin Wark

Governments strive to keep citizens safe. But how far should they go when it comes to online privacy?

The topic of government regulation of the Internet has reared its head again lately. Australia is set to implement a plan in December. Once in effect, if a user's computer has been compromised by hackers, the Internet Service Provider is allowed to tell them. As well, the legislation allows providers to stop or limit Internet usage if customers do not eject the malware from their infected machines. The United States government is reviewing this program and is reportedly interested in the notification aspect.

"Without security you have no privacy. And many of us that care deeply about our privacy look to make sure our systems are secure," White House Cyber-Security Coordinator Howard Schmidt told the Associated Press. He said that ISPs can assist to "make sure our systems are cleaned up if they're infected and keep them clean."

Is regulation wanted?
A key question regarding any government's efforts in Internet regulation is whether the general public actually feels it is needed. In a poll focusing on net neutrality (see below for more on this subject), more than 75 per cent of those computer users responding said "the Internet is currently working well." As well, more than 55 per cent indicated the U.S. federal government should not regulate the Internet at all.

On other continents, the issue was less cut and dried. In a GlobeScan survey, conducted by the BBC, of more than 27,000 adults in 26 countries, respondents in South Korea and Nigeria strongly opposed government regulation of the World Wide Web. However, many in China and Europe disagree. In the United Kingdom, more than half of the respondents felt there was cause for some government regulation.

What regulation is needed?
Governments around the world seem to grappling with how much regulation is necessary. According to reports, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has more than 60 regulations regarding online matters and has an Internet police force of more than 50,000. The PRC apparently blocks website content and monitors the Internet access of citizens, with several online journalists having been arrested.

In a January, 2010 Xinhua News website story, China's State Council Information Office argued that the country's Internet regulation is designed to build a more reliable and helpful information network that benefits economical and social development. The spokesperson went on to say that China's rules deal with illegal and harmful online content and have nothing to do with claims of "restrictions on Internet freedom."

Earlier this year, Italian politicians debated the merits of regulating online content. Initial drafts of legislation sought to mandate the vetting of video from sites such as YouTube and Dailymotion for pornographic or violent images, according to an Associated Press article published in January. If content was found to be harmful to minors, there would be threats of having the websites shut down and/or large fines. A month later the lawmakers backed away from web censorship.

A major issue facing the Internet is net neutrality. Sometimes referred to as the "First Amendment of the Amendment," it is the principle that access to Internet content is not stopped, slowed down, or sped up based on content, source or destination. Some Internet Service Providers want to move to a two-tiered system where they would charge extra for priority placement and faster speeds. They argue this would generate funds to invest in more sophisticated infrastructure, which would benefit everyone.

As each country grapples with trying to protect its citizens against inappropriate content and malware, it will be interesting to see where various governments draw the line when it comes to regulation.

Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.