We all know that the Internet is powerful. So, does this medium require structure? Guidelines? A framework? A Bill of Rights?
No, I don’t think so – at least not in the official, legal, sense. There’s much to say on this topic, but lets focus on the practical reality: in the United States, the people that would develop these guidelines in the form of national standards are ill-equipped to do so. In fact, I must say that the most courageous thing I have seen the US Congress do in the past 15 years is agree not to regulate the Internet during it’s critical growth stage.
The practical consideration regarding regulation is enough to make you dizzy. For starters, which committees in the House and Senate have jurisdiction over the Internet? First guess: House and Senate Commerce. Answer: Sure. But, what about Financial Services? Given the growing number of people that bank online. And, what about House Ways and Means? For starters, a significant number of people are new filing their taxes online. And, let’s not forget about the Judiciary Committees.
It might have made more sense to approach this question from the opposite point of view – is there any committee that doesn’t have jurisdiction over the Internet? The process would be very, very difficult.
In short, we’re still not ready for regulation. Given the pressure politicians face, they will never be able to devote enough time to a Bill of Rights. I’m sure people will take issue with this position, but it’s simply impossible. And, if they can’t do, it’s better that the Internet is left to self-regulate. Period.
