BenLaRoche

Honors100
AndreaGero
11/9/201512:01AM

CyberGovernance

Aswemovedeeperintothe21stcentury,theinternetisstillfairlyunregulatedandfree.
Theinternetislikeanewfrontier.TheAmericanWildWestattractedallkindsofpeople:good
guys,badguys,NativeAmericans,homesteaders,governmentofficials,peoplewaitingmadea
tripoutwest,andimmigrantswhocantevenaffordtomakeittotheAmericanWest.Muchlike
theAmericanWest,theinternethasattractedlotsofpeople,40%oftheworldhasaccesstothe
internetanditslargelyunregulated.
Internetaccesscomesdowntoanissueofcivilrights.Shouldgovernmentsbeableto
regulatethespreadofinformation?Towhatextentshouldcontentbecensored?TheUS,Russia,
China,SouthKorea,andothernations,clashoverthespecificsofgovernmentinternet
regulation.Internetfreedomisdeniedinmorethan36countiesandcyberattackspointtoaneed
forclearerrulesaboutinternetfreedom.
Oneoptioninwhichhopeandhistoryrhymeistheplacementofinternetregulations
underUnitedNations(UN)jurisdiction.TheUNwouldbeabletoregulatecyberactivity,deter
onlineattacks,andcensorcontentdeemeduniversallyunacceptable.LastDecembertheUS
respondedtoaNorthKoreancyberattackonSonyPictureswithmoresanctions.Implementing
universalregulationoftheinternetwouldputinplacelaws,andcoursesofactionforcertain
attacks.Thiswouldassurethatactiontakenafteracyberattackisjustandproportionaltothe
crimecommitted.
Anotherissueprevalentincyberspaceisaccessibility.Internetaccessisstillunavailable
forthemajorityoftheworldpopulation,whohaveyettodiscoverTheWestanditsresources.
Thereisafearthatthisdiscrepancywillworsenthegapbetweenthethehavesandthehavenots.
Throughouthistoryitsclearthataccesstoknowledgeisagatewaytosuccess,prosperity,power,
etc.Theinternetisthefastestandeasiestwaytoaccessinformationindevelopednationsand
manyofourdaytodayproblemscanberemediedthroughtheinternet.Inthirdworldcountries,
wheremanypeoplehavenowaytoaccessinformation,theinternetcouldremedythatproblem
throughmobiledevicesoragovernmentregulatedlocalinternetservice.Globalinternetaccess
wouldgivethoseinneed,orlessfortunatesomepathtosustainableselfimprovement.