Is the Internet Ruling the World?

The Importance of the Regulation of the Internet

Ying-Hsuan Wang
Nov 3 · 3 min read
Source: Unsplash

Content regulation of the Internet has recently become a hot topic and has arisen public debates. With all those fake news, campaigns, cybersecurity, and the sharing of violent and extremist content, more and more countries are rushing to regulate the internet. Both governments and net users are concerned about the negative effect the internet brings to lives.

I think living in an era in which people basically could not live without the internet, the regulation is a must. However, the government should be aware of how the laws might impact the freedom of speech or business.

It’s Time for Governments to Regulate the Internet

It’s never too late to regulate the laws. However, I think it is really hard for corporates to follow the rules, especially for those in e-commerce businesses. For example, if ten countries have ten different regulations to follow, it would cost more as companies will have to hire related people to deal with regulation problems. Ultimately, companies would increase the price and users and customers would end up paying more. It might end up benefiting no one and the ecosystem of online business would become even worse.

Thus, in my opinion, I think countries should come up with a regional united regulation for companies to follow. The EU General Data Protection Regulation is a great example. Setting plans for data protection reform across the European Union allows them to fit for the digital age. It is important to know what should be involved and how laws will be enforced.

Internet Regulations Should Not Destroy Freedom of Speech

We know that there are cultural differences in different countries, countries such as China have censorship on what people say or comment on. That is the obstacle I think would be the hardest part for a regional regulation to come into play. I think a perfect internet regulation should be the one that not only gives people the freedom of speech but also give companies certain freedom to do business. In other words, both customers and companies should still benefit from the digital economy.

Should Companies Make Money on Our Personal Data?

Companies like FB and Google tech companies make money on individual’s data. Some people think it doesn’t matter, while some think they feel insecure. I think generally if the company’s going to use our data, they’ll have to know into what degree would be more acceptable to customers. Overall, you don’t want to break your trust and ruin your brand’s name. Facebook has been utilizing and selling too much of our data and has already caused irreversible negative effects on the company’s reputation. Thus, for every data-driven company or any e-commerce company out there, the internal regulation should be established soundly to gain customer’s trust toward the brand.

References:

Governments are rushing to regulate the internet. Users could end up paying the price

The Internet: To Regulate Or Not To Regulate?

Ying-Hsuan Wang

Written by

My name is Ying-Hsuan Wang but you can always call me Michelle. Currently a NYU SPS Integrated Marketing grad student.

Marketing in the Age of Digital

thoughts and reflections on digital first marketing from NYUSPS Integrated Marketing Grad Students

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