Starting points for ICT regulation

"How does the 'on-line' world relate to the 'off-line' world? Is it different, separate, or even unique compared to the off-line world, or just a part thereof? And when do we need to regulate it, and how? These have become important, but complex questions for legislators, policy-makers, regulators, and politicians who design regulatory frameworks to address fast-moving technologies that change society in intricate ways. In the course of time, governments and international organizations have developed regulatory 'starting points', in order to consistently and effectively deal with ICT and Internet regulation. These offer policy one-liners such as 'what holds off-line, must hold on-line' and 'regulation should be technology-neutral'. This book questions these regulatory starting points in detail and systematically explores their application, meaning and value for international e-regulation. It digs deeper than existing literature in trying to find out in which cases the starting points merit attention, and how we should really use them." "This volume is the product of close collaboration and debate between scholars working at the Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, and Society (TI