French President Calls for More Regulated ‘Net

French president Nicolas Sarkozy told attendees of the first-ever e-G8 forum in Paris Tuesday that the Internet necessarily more regulation. About saying the "anything goes" fiber of the Internet as its today is unsustainable, he called for governments to shape the virtual world much like they serve the real one.

"The world you represent is not a parallel creation where legal and clean-living rules and more generally all the basic rules that regularise society in democratic countries dress not apply," the BBC quoted Sarkozy as expression at the consequence.

Should We Follow The French?

France has some of the most strictest Torah on the books when it comes to Net piracy. Its thusly-called "three strikes" police force gives lodge sharers tierce opportunities to clean up their playact before facing complete disconnection from the Web.

The United States is considering more stricter piracy laws itself–in the form of the PROTECT IP Act–but the focus seems to atomic number 4 on cutting off distribution of pirated content past compelling websites to off links to so much contented, rather than punishing the downloaders themselves.

Sarkozy did come the Internet for its role in past uprisings crosswise the Halfway East and elsewhere, but illustrious that governments had a responsibility to regulate the Net to foreclose "advocate topsy-turvyness," as they were "the only lawful representatives of the bequeath of the people."

Will The Government Go Too Far?

While atomic number 2 seemed to balance his words to ensure that critics do not get the wrong impression that He's promoting more or less type of "Big Pal is watching you" body structure, his position certainly seems a bit wide-open terminated. Who's to say a democratic government wouldn't attack to quell free speech over something it doesn't like? It's already happened.

Any commentators seem to accord. On Twitter, media commentator and journalism professor Jeff Jarvis criticized the overall tone of the conference. "At #eG8, governing Acts as if it should protect us from the Internet," he mused. "Instead, the Internet of necessity protection from government."

For more tech news and comment, succeed ED on Twitter at @edoswald and on Facebook.