This e-Book explores the question: How should the internet be governed for the good of all mankind?
As with any disruptive technology the threat is that only a privileged few will benefit from its use so the purpose of policy is to ensure the benefit is widespread. However, the issue with governance is that it might put the brakes on innovation thereby producing the exact opposite of what we are trying to achieve. This discussion is an exploration of the ways in which we can achieve our objective through governance:
- Who "rules" the net?
- Has the internet helped or harmed society?
- Is an open internet a threat to security?
- Does the internet stifle innovation?
- How should the internet be regulated?
- What drives the net?
- What is the role of intermediaries (ISPs etc.) in the governance of the net?
- Why does net neutrality matter? How best to achieve it?
- Should internet search be regulated?
- How to protect privacy in this new age?
- Should government regulate the net?
- How can society better govern using the internet?
This discussion is as much about the impact of the internet on society and government as it is about leveraging policy for business. For businesses do not operate in a vacuum - what they do affects society and what the society decides by way of policy and governance affects them. Business leaders must stay on top of the forces shaping policy so they are not caught by surprise.