As you know, the Internet is a vast place where people can communicate with one another largely anonymously. It also allows people to access information that they may not be able to find or purchase in their own locales. As such, there is a lot of data that goes around the Internet, which makes it attractive to those who wish to commit crimes, such as identity theft and fraud. This is why it is important to have internet regulations in place.
Internet regulation involves a set of rules created by government agencies and law enforcement officials in order to control what is said, what is seen and who can do what on the Internet. In some cases, the internet is regulated by laws created specifically for it, such as the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). In other instances, it is governed by other legislation, such as antitrust or consumer protection laws.
In addition to formal regulation, the Internet is also governed by other factors, such as social norms and market forces. For example, there are many social norms that govern behavior on the Internet, such as the use of smiley faces to denote mocking of fundamentalist thought. In some instances, these norms can even supersede formal legal regulation.
Finally, the architecture of the Internet is another factor that can influence its ability to be regulated. The Internet is composed of a series of interconnected networks that span the globe. As such, it is very difficult to control. For example, if you try to block or censor certain types of information in one country, the content will simply take another route across the Internet.