Law and regulation in cyberspace

Abstract

This paper analyses the issue of Internet regulation and the role of law as a regulatory medium. It will firstly argue that it is necessary for the Internet to be regulated as without regulation, the rights of users in the real world and in the cyberworld will be compromised and suppressed and the laws of the physical world will be undermined. An unregulated cyberspace has the potential to compromise legal systems, stifle activity in cyberspace and erode community values. Two key models of regulation will be discussed, namely the judicial model and the socio-normative model. It will be argued that neither offers satisfactory solutions. The paper will argue that a workable model of regulation in cyberspace is one that encompasses elements of law, social norms and Internet architecture.