News: How New Regulations Are Affecting the Global Internet

2019-04-11 - 1 minute read

The global Internet can connect the world and enable the sharing of a mostly unified set of content. New regulations, however, may prevent this from happening. This issue is addressed in an article by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

A minimum of seventeen countries have proposed or approved laws that restrict online media. These laws are made to combat harmful content like fake news and manipulation, but letting governments regulate online content can be dangerous according to free-speech advocates.

For example, one British proposal has the potential to make executives personally liable for harmful content published on their social platforms. In the article, R. David Edelman, Director of the IPRI Project on Technology, the Economy, & National Security (TENS), called the UK proposal “a very bad look for a rights-respecting democracy”.

Image by Yuri Samoilov and licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Other issues facing the global internet include “data localization” and “data nationalization” measures that could harm free interaction and businesses. In the article, Edelman noted that “Australia’s efforts to curb content and require access to encrypted devices could prompt some firms to think twice about doing business there”.

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