Regulation of the Internet: then and now
Once again, we have a fierce debate about Internet content that may not be illegal but could be harmful and is certainly grossly offensive.
In this case, it is sexualised images of people without their knowledge or consent created by the artificial intelligence chatbot Grok supported by the social media site X. In Britain, the matter has been referred to the regulator Ofcom which recently acquired some powers to regulate Internet content through the Online Safety Act 2023.
This debate is not new. Twenty years ago today, I first gave a presentation on why and how the Internet should be regulated. You can study my views here. You will note that, the next day, I gave the same presentation to a meeting of staffers at Ofcom which now effectively has the role which I assigned to “a defined body”.
I didn’t leave it there. In 2011, I actually made a submission to a Communications Review conducted by the Government’s Department for Culture, Media & Sport when essentially I made the same case. You can read my proposals here.
It is right that politicians should not rush to regulate a technology that they don’t understand, but politicians do need to listen to those who do comprehend the risks as well as the benefits of new technology and act before the harm becomes too great.