“The law is a jealous mistress, and requires a long and constant courtship. It is not to be won by trifling favors, but by lavish homage.” - Professor Ferdinand Fairfax Stone, Tulane Law School
Abelson, Ledeen, and Lewis bring up a lot of good points in their book Blown to Bits. All the comparisons lawmakers make between radio, television, etc. and the internet fall short. No other form of media measures up to the internet so there can be no comparison and no laws that apply to these outlets that can completely cover the internet. The internet is different in the way that it is ever changing and ever evolving.
It is not restricted to the United States so how can we legislate what is appropriate material for other countries? And even within our own, we toe the dangerous line of crossing over our 1st Amendment rights. The FCC proclaims that radio and television have limitations of what can be aired due to the broad nature of the audience. Censorship of the internet would be an almost impossible feat. We recently saw the failures of SOPA and PIPA, federal bills that would “combat online piracy.” But Congress’s decision to pocket these bills not only showed the will of the people to be a strong defense, but the realization that the regulation of this world-wide phenomenon goes beyond the need to promote movie and music sales.
It’s an unknown world that anyone can stumble into. It’s our greatest danger and our salvation. It opens up a world of sexualized materials and the means to start a revolution. It’s the answer to a 5th grade science project and a guide to gruesome events. It’s all encompass the best and worst of humanity and everything in between. If we can’t regulate reality, how are we supposed to regulate the veracity that is the internet?