Ch. 2: Regulating and Governing the Internet

Ch. 2: Regulating and Governing the Internet • Should we impose limits on the flow of information in cyberspace? • Implementing restrictions: • Challenge:

Origins of the Networkpp. 29-31 • Original aim: • “Survivable communications” • Packets, packet switching • Labeled w/ origin, destination, sequence info for reassembling at destination • Donald Davies (beginning thru 2:09): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT4AaelwvV4 • Why is the data broken up into packets? • for Queuing (@ 1:53 in video)

Origins of the Network cont’d • First large-scale packet switching network was ARPANET. • Initial goal: resource sharing. • Usage discovery: electronic mail • The idea of using a network to bring people together • ARPANET and Milnet: interconnected • “A network of networks” was born – the Internet • The “death of distance”

The Internet’s Architecture • TCP/IP • Protocol: set of rules for communications • IP • IP address: nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn (0-255) • TCP • Packeting • Routers: packet switches • NSPs • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyosOGHOBHA

Distinctive features: • Trait of openness • Asynchronous • Many-to-many communications • Distributed • Scalable • Pp. 32-33

Facets of the Modern Internet • WWW • Multimedia • Hypertext linking • Accessible html and http • A move to the semantic web for coding, xml • Pp. 33-38 • E-commerce • Trade • More products available to the consumer • Customization • Models • B2C • C2B • B2B • C2C

Facets cont’d • Social Networking • Communication tools, sharing of info • See pp. 38-39 for an overview if unfamiliar • Challenges: monetizing web traffic & privacy • Ease of sharing info leads to problems • Child porn, predators, bullying, stalking, sexting • Should these sites be liable for the illegal activities of their users? • For the US, the Communications Decency Act §230c applies • Other countries often do not have laws to protect service providers. • See case studies: L’Affair Yahoo and A Case of Libel pp. 50-54

Social problems of the Internet • Erosion of privacy • Perverted forms of speech • Illegitimate copying of music and video files • Transaction fraud • Hackers

Regulating the Problems • Lessig’s 4 Constraints on Behavior • Laws • Social Norms • Market • Code / Architecture • Other considerations: • Social costs: borne involuntarily by others • Ex. Privacy

Approaches: • Invisible hand: let it self-correct. Often best in situations where all the variables are not known/understood • Avoids the problem of capture • “a process whereby those being regulated influence regulators so hat they no longer act in the public interest” • Funny aside: http://motherjones.com/media/2010/06/mark-fiore-voluntary-regulation

Approaches: cont’d • Visible hand: regulate it • Difficulties inherent in Internet regulation: • Open architecture designed for sharing • John Gilmore: “Information can take so many alt routes when one node is removed that the Net is almost immortally flexible … the Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it.” p. 42 • Digital content difficult to contain • Jurisdiction is based on geography, Internet has no boundaries. • Do we net Net/tech specific laws?

Internet Regulation and Ethics • A mix of approaches is likely • The effectiveness of code to control behavior. • The need for regulation to consider autonomy, privacy and security • Embracing values for human flourishing p. 50

Ch. 2: Regulating and Governing the Internet