Laws that Protect children on the Internet

The internet, just like any other great invention, has its advantages and disadvantages. Over the years, the internet has become vastly available and accessible to people of all ages from all over the world. It is a powerful tool used to educate, create awareness and help people grow. However, there are various shortcomings related to the over popularity and extensive use of the internet. There are groups that deal with regulation to reduce the negativity that is on the internet.

Internet regulations come in many scopes, discussed below are four of the stakeholders and contributors who contribute to creating boundaries and restricting access:

Individuals

People use the internet to network and socialise on both professional and personal levels. This means that, with the internet, particularly social media, people from all across the world get to communicate and interact. As amazing as this is, there are often times when people come across those with varied opinions from theirs, and some can be abusive. Most social media sites have block, flag and report options to regulate and protect the personal space of their users. This allows individuals to protect their own internet space.

Countries and States and International Groups

For some, the internet is a pollutant for culture and customs. This view has led to total internet blackouts in some countries. However, for others, the regulation of internet content is done subtly and realistically. Most countries focus on specific components, analyse them, and decide what laws best suit their geographical locations. This type of regulation focuses on areas such as child pornography, gambling, fraud, and cyberbullying.

This form of regulation is limited in its area of jurisdiction, case in point, when it comes to gambling laws, some countries differ in the view from others.

Internet Bodies

This includes transmission protocols, firewalls, and filtering software. Their function is to restrict access and regulate what is being shared on different platforms within the internet. Most companies and organisations use them to avoid intrusion from unauthorised groups.

Net Neutrality

Information and data that is shared on the internet are treated the same despite where it originates. The data goes through transmission on different interfaces to ensure it is appropriate for the platform it is being posted.

Regulation of internet laws is not a matter of one body with one solution for all problems; it takes many people with deliberate ideas and goals. Rules that regulate the internet are a combination of several subsections; these are intellectual law, contract and privacy laws. These laws ensure that the content posting done on different sites is age-appropriate, non-offensive.

The internet is a helpful tool in many areas of operation; regulation is the one way to ensure that its usage is as intended.