Andy Burnham, the “Culture Secretary” of the UK has made some pretty bold pronouncements about regulating the Internet. Mr. Burnham says he is planning to negotiate with Barack Obama’s administration to enact “common cause” changes…

“The change of administration is a big moment. We have got a real opportunity to make common cause,” he says. “The more we seek international solutions to this stuff – the UK and the US working together – the more that an international norm will set an industry norm.”

I would disagree about the commonality of the cause. Especially in light of the following statement:

“It worries me - like anybody with children,” he says. “Leaving your child for two hours completely unregulated on the internet is not something you can do. This isn’t about turning the clock back. The internet has been empowering and democratising in many ways but we haven’t yet got the stakes in the ground to help people navigate their way safely around…what can be a very, very complex and quite dangerous world.”

Would you leave your child unattended in the downtown area of New York City? Perhaps any other major metropolitan area? If not, why would you allow your child unfettered Internet access? On the same note, if you so choose to spend a few hours in a downtown district, should you be restricted from doing so?

Clearly Mr. Burnham’s “common sense” is not so common. The world is now, and has always been “very complex and quite dangerous.” It always will be. There is no need for additional regulation on the Internet. Individuals can determine their own way. The democratization and empowerment of the Internet should never be regulated by any government, regardless of the reasons.

Posted on December 29th, 2008 by lloyd
Filed under: Activism, politics