The Internet in Everything

January 13, 2020
DeNardis (The Global War for Internet Governance), an American University communications professor, looks at cyberspace regulation in a thoughtful treatise which shows that issues around personal data are only the tip of the iceberg. She opens by discussing how, in a relatively short amount of time, the internet has grown from a communication system into a “control system connecting... every conceivable industry sector.” No Luddite, DeNardis fervently believes that the internet of things, which comprises all of the everyday items connected to the web, has promise for “human advancement and economic development.” But realizing that promise depends on trust, which, in turn, depends on forward-thinking legislators and regulators. For example, product liability laws must evolve to address 3-D home printing; hackers need not infiltrate the printer itself, she shows, but only need to rewrite files containing fabrication instructions in order to wreak havoc. Virtual reality technologies require regulation at a global level, which only complicates the issue. DeNardis embeds enough real-life examples to keep her thesis accessible, and to keep lay readers engaged. This is essential reading for policymakers and ordinary citizens alike.