Establishing Legal Order in the Digital World: Local Laws and Internet Content Regulation

Abstract

The need for establishing legal order in cyberspace is growing; the time has come when it is also possible in several different ways. One of the crucial issues in this respect is the worldwide reach of the global network. Legal rules for human activities, including online activities, vary from state to state, and regulation of cyberspace cannot occur in one single manner all over the world. The existence of various laws produces far reaching consequences both for users and for regulators. Thus, users might face legal consequences in a foreign state for activities lawful in their home jurisdiction, and states might not be able to enforce the laws if the offender resides in another state. The paper examines this issue on the example of Internet content regulation. The approach supported here is to focus on the new actors in the online world and on the new regulatory choices they offer.