English composition 2 - Research Paper Example

Government Regulation of the Internet (S4 MLA P5) Along with the advent of information technology, also came the internet connecting people through the digital medium where geographical demarcations and political boundaries are virtually removed. Space and distance are virtually diminished by programming codes that the world virtually “shrunk” with the introduction of the internet. People are no longer awed with the vast expanse of the planet. The rate of exchange and availability of information also became dizzying that the cyberspace virtually became a “parallel universe” of our physical world and became a universe of its own.

And just like the physical world, online problems became present that the call to regulate the cyberspace mounted. Also the issue about the ethical use of the internet came into question. The digital personality which Netizens assumed in the cyberspace loosened up with their personality becoming invisible. And “the growing incidence of online fraud and identity theft, privacy incursions, copyright infringements, trademark violations, domain name disputes, spamming, computer viruses, inadequate or vaguely defined consumer protection laws, and terrorist-related and pornographic websites has fuelled such concerns” (David 2006).

These issues necessitated internet governance to regulate the decentralized, scalable and even anarchaic nature of the cyberspace. Since the cyberspace’s geopolitical demarcation is virtually erased, the question of how to control and maintain a set of behaviors according to an acceptable standard became an imperative. But as how to do it still remains the questions; of whether a big government should intervene or the industry itself should regulate and police themselves.This brings to mind the geographic relativity of laws.

For example, laws governing e-commerce and speech in the United States may differ or may not even exist say that of the Middle East country and vice versa that the enforcement of cyberspace regulation may prove to be a challenge if not impossible to implement. Such, many concerned parties proposed to adopt an intergovernmental regulation to create a cross-border harmonization of internet governance policy for greater efficacy.There is however other interest groups that espouse the idea of self-imposed regulation of cyberspace conduct.

Among these is the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in the United States whose mandate is to develop a bottom-up consensus on the usage of the internet among the private sector. Though it differed in identity compared to that of the government, it still called for the regulation of the cyberspace by a broader consensus of different interested parties in the private sector.This meant that even the private sector acknowledges that there has to be a set of acceptable behavior in cyberspace to eliminate misconduct.

For consideration and socially acceptable behavior will always be desirable regardless of time, place and medium. To paraphrase Marianne M. Jennings “this only demonstrates that even if the medium of communication and business advances, the basic principles of ethics, such as honesty, fairness, and the avoidance of conflicts of interests are a cornerstone to success even when the means of doing business changes”.But as to let the government enforce this, Works CitedDrissel, David (2006, March 1).

Internet Governance in a Multipolar World: Challenging American Hegemony, Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Volume 19, Number 1, Retrieved January 18, 2011 from http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid=115&sid=20e57881-df4b-47b1-bb28-2e47c48c3376%40sessionmgr110&vid=1Jennings, Marianne M (2002, January 1) Ethics in Cyberspace,. Biz Ed, January February Issue, Retrieved January 18, 2011 from http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid=3&sid=5b696157-f1d3-497e-8a6f-a3a7cecc68a6%40sessionmgr11&vid=3Rapoza, Jim (2000, August 07).

Big Brother a Big Brother on the Internet, eWeek, Vol. 17 Issue 32, p80, 1/2p, 1 Black and White Photograph, Retrieved January 18, 2011 from http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid=3&sid=85f43a13-b7bc-45f5-9677-a133b3707f22%40sessionmgr115&vid=4.