Do We Need More or Less Regulation Research Paper

Do We Need More or Less Regulation in the Internet - Research Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the United States is the top-ranked country with the highest host density1in cyberspace, ranked at 65.3%. It is a country that allows a high degree of competition to its new users, and so carries a great deal of responsibility on its shoulders. More importantly, in the US, IP telephony is unregulated because it is considered to be an information service. And given the high population of the internet community of the United States, regulation is not only a recommendation but a valid requirement. Unless properly regulated, the trends of internet usage promise a disastrous picture in the long run for the United States - both economically as well as socially. Socially, because the United States legislation, known for its strict regulatory framework on the international front, would prove to be a negligible threat to the ever-increasing community of Internet hackers, thieves, virus-creators, and so on. However, the economic numbers are far mo re intimidating. Hacking costs the United States economy close to $400 million every year2. Given the ever-multiplying community of internet unscrupulous minds, this number is a cause for grave concern. This dangerous figure of $400 million is the testimony to the fact that the security of cyberspace in the United States stands dangerously exposed, and unless serious steps are taken to amend the prevailing situation, cyberspace faces the risk of unscrupulous domination in the years to come. We live in a digital age. Most of our world is comprised of data and bytes instead of flesh and blood. In such a case, the need for internet regulation becomes imperative. The lack of internet regulation will lead to a state of cyber anarchy, a state of complete lawlessness where we will have no one else to blame except ourselves. The time has come for us to decide which is more important to us: Digital safety or artificial freedom. The main reason for internet regulation is its great influence o n our life - whether it is starting a business, getting legal advice, understanding the theory of relativity, or doing some jewelry shopping. The internet's presence is all-pervasive. For the sake of our expressions and thoughts, we prefer blogs (online internet diaries) instead of conventional methods (it is claimed that there are over 14 million blogs on the internet and one blog is created every half a second!). For starting a business, we prefer an online business as compared to the traditional brick-and-mortar. And for buying something, we prefer e-bay to the store on Regent Street. Yes, the internet has given us what we always wanted - absolute freedom. But is freedom all that is required Unless there is a sense of responsibility accompanying it, freedom will be a synonym of lawlessness. And in the present circumstances, we are witnessing a dangerous event of cyber anarchy. Just like anything else, the internet is to be used in a responsible manner.