Internet Governance
Internet governance is the set of rules, institutions, and decisions that shape how the internet is run and used. No single body controls it. Companies, standards groups, the federal government, states, courts, and other countries each hold part of the power. The topic covers access, speech, competition, and safety online.
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Topics in Internet Governance
Access and competition
Net Neutrality covers whether internet providers must treat traffic equally. Platform Power and Competition looks at how large online services gain and use influence.
Speech and moderation
Platform Governance and Content Moderation covers how online services decide what users may post. Section 230 and Intermediary Liability covers the law that shapes when services are responsible for user content.
All Articles on Internet Governance
Section 230 Protects Social Media Companies—Except When It Doesn’t
A 1996 law called Section 230 protects internet companies from lawsuits for what users post—a reasonable protection when the internet was message boards and…
How Product-Liability Claims Are Undercutting Section 230’s Protections
A jury decision that platforms are consumer products with design defects companies can be held accountable for would force every platform from TikTok to…
Is the FCC Ready for the Digital Age? A 90-Year-Old Agency Faces Modern Challenges
In the heart of the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Communications Act of 1934, a piece of legislation from…
How the FCC Controls Your Phone, TV, and Internet
From the smartphone in your pocket and the Wi-Fi that connects it, to the emergency alerts that buzz across a city, the Federal Communications…
Why Facebook Can Ban You: Free Speech Rights vs Private Companies
You post a political opinion on Facebook. Hours later, a notification appears: your content has been removed. Your account is restricted. In some cases,…
Who Controls the Internet?
The internet feels like a lawless frontier where information flows freely across invisible borders. That impression masks a complex reality: your online experience is…
U.S. Social Media Regulations for Minors
The digital lives of American children and teenagers have become a focal point of intense national debate and legislative action. As young people spend…