Cyber Beat

Thoughts On Government Regulation Of The Internet

Are you new to cyberspace or have you been an active user for years? Whichever is the case, you've probably been hearing about crimes that have been, or could be, perpetrated on the internet. If you are like me, whether or not you have been affected by crimes or scams in the "real world," the news about crime in cyberspace has caught your attention. Whether or not you have given any thought to the government interceding in your private life, now that you are on line, the discussion of government regulation of the internet has tweaked your interest. Trying not to let a wave of paranoia take over your psyche, you may have found yourself giving serious thought to what might be the pros and cons of government regulation of the one place on this earth you thought might give you absolute freedom.

For generations Americans have fought insidiously to protect their rights against government intrusion into their private lives. In many ways, we're a society that abhors government intervention in any aspect of our life. As quickly as some of us denounce government intervention, however, we can be very quick to demand that our public servants solve the problems and the moral decay of society. However, if a policeman stops us for speeding, we ask him why he isn't investigating the murder of our neighbor, or why he didn't stop the guy that passed us five minutes ago. (After all, that guy was probably the one who committed the murder since he had to have been doing 100 mph.) When local government seeks to increase the sales tax by one cent to fund education, we deny their ability to do so arguing that the taxes we are currently paying should be better allocated. When our neighbor won't cut down or trim the tree that is leaning dangerously over our house, we "invite" one of our public servants over to help him change his mind. If that doesn't work, we either punch him out or file a suit in our government operated small claims court. Either of the latter two scenarios will result in the government interceding in our private lives in one form or another.

You may not be particularly fond of the idea of government regulation in general, let alone on the internet, yet what would you do in the following scenario? Let's say that you've convinced Aunt Mable that not only are you her cute and witty niece, but that you also have the financial savvy to build a financial portfolio that even she can be proud of. You've also convinced her that the wave of the future is investing through cyberspace. Although she is skeptical, she trusts your judgment and opens an on-line account with "The Other World Discount Brokerage," which claims to be the number one brokerage firm in America.

After a year of building an impressive portfolio by following your suggestions and tips, Aunt Mable begins to worry that she is becoming forgetful and perhaps may even be brain dead. Why? Well, it seems that over the last two months she has seen five transactions in her account that she does not recall executing. Four of the transactions were quite profitable. Three of the four transactions were investments in companies that you had recommended. It was the fifth transaction that was a financial disaster. In fact, the last transaction had nearly wiped out her entire portfolio.

To help console your dear aunt, and assure her all is well, you review her account. To your dismay, you realize that the last two transactions were made at times when you and she had taken trips to an island resort while celebrating the successes of the first three transactions. Unfortunately, now you also realize that those first three transactions took place while you and your aunt were wrapped up in the O.J. trial oblivious to your normal day to day activities or her financial accounts. Now what do you do? Assuming that you or your aunt had not made the transactions, you will undoubtedly seek the help of your local government, i.e. through the courts, after other avenues have been pursued.

I'm sure you can think of a thousand other scenarios in which you might ask the government to intercede. The next obvious question, then, is under what circumstances should the government not stretch its long arm out and into your affairs? As more and more of us seek out business ventures and entertainment in cyberspace, this question, and others, favorably or not, will be answered.

I wonder if Orwell is watching.

Interesting sites where you might find information about government regulation of the internet:

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