Government Regulation: Good or Bad?

Is this good or bad/needed or unnecessary?

It seems appropriate to begin by discussing the overall idea of government regulation of the Internet. There are so many questions connected to this topic: Is government regulation good or bad? How much involvement is too much, and does the public approve? Would greater regulation make the Internet safer? How can different countries enforce their own rules without impeding on the freedoms of other countries? The questions are endless, and this is why the topic of government regulation is so relevant and important. This debate will continue to grow as the world continues to increase its reliance on the Internet.



Net Neutrality complicates
the attempts from governments
to gain full control of the Internet
(Discussed in detail later)

 The Internet is a worldwide phenomenon and it becomes complicated when different governments attempt to regulate certain aspects of the Internet, when other countries do not. Therefore, this is of the most frustrating questions in trying to frame how to regulate the Internet. The flexibility of Internet use in some countries contradicts the policies and cultural norms of other countries and nations. It seems that an easy answer would be to have each country construct its own policies, but it is not that simple. People, companies, and governments all communicate and engage in business through the Internet. This means there has to be some kind of consensus; and again, this leads to the debate about when is regulation needed and when does it infringe on a person’s freedoms.  

 
Personally, after taking into account all of the possibilities of the Internet; I believe some sort of regulation is needed. On a daily basis, there is the threat of cyber terrorism, cyber bullying, child molesters, and thieves looking for personal information. There are some regulations in place already and these threats are still very much alive; imagine the Internet without any regulation. I think that the argument is not about if there should be regulation, but it should be constructed more along the lines of what kind of regulation and how much.

 
This is a starting point to think about government regulation and the common controversies that come into play when people discuss this topic. This will be an interesting topic to follow and see what developments are made; or if it will remain a stale mate. I will continue to pick apart this argument, and in the end, hopefully I will be able to suggest a viable policy position on government regulation of the Internet.