Application: Internet Regulation
Beyond connecting computers, the Internet connects people. The Internet spans countries and cultures. This interconnectivity presents a multitude of opportunities, but it also presents challenges. In particular, no single entity regulates and governs the Internet. Instead, a multitude of corporations, organizations, and governments serve varying Internet regulatory roles. Sometimes, these work in cooperation and other times in opposition.
For this Application, research an issue of your choice related to Internet regulation. You might consider intellectual property rights, personal privacy, libel and slander, trafficking, freedom of expression, or open access. Or, you might choose a technical topic like standardization, security, or traffic exchange. Any topic whether social or technical related to internet regulation and governance is appropriate.
Locate at least three current, reliable resources related to your Internet regulation and governance topic. Your source should be no more than four years old. Appropriate sources include academic papers from peer-reviewed journals or conferences, news articles, organization or government web sites, or publications by experts in the field. You should not consider blogs, wikis, discussion boards, or similar as reliable resources. However, you are welcome to utilize these for additional perspective or ideas in addition to your reliable resources.
If possible, your resources should approach the topic you chose from differing perspectives to gain a broader understanding of the issue.
Compose a 1–2 page paper in which you identify your topic of choice, explain why your topic poses Internet regulation or governance challenges, and describe and assess current regulatory efforts in this area. Your assessment should address whether the current efforts meet the regulation and governance needs and should justify your position. Your paper should include a clear introduction and conclusion. Resources should be identified through APA formatted in-text citations and end references.
Refer to the Week 1 Assignment 2 Application Rubric as well as the Application Guide, found in the Course Information area of the course navigation menu, for guidance on completing this week’s Application.