Americans want self-regulated Internet - or do they?

July 10, 2001 12:39 PM

Americans want self-regulated Internet - or do they? A Markle Foundation survey out today seems to contain contradictory responses: 60 percent say rules for governing the Net should be developed by non-governmental organizations. But 64 percent also say that government "should develop rules to protect people when they are on the Internet, even if it requires some regulation of the Internet." Um, so which is it?
posted by thescoop (3 comments total)

It's not a contradiction if you read carefully: what the respondents actually agreed with is the statement that the rules should be *mostly* developed by non-governmental organizations. That doesn't mean no government role, just that government shouldn't have the largest role.

Also, as a meta-comment (we're in the right place for that, after all), people tend to agree with statements presented in a positive form. "Do you agree that the president is doing a good job?" will produce higher ratings than "Do you agree that the president is doing a poor job?" or "How would you rate the president?"
posted by rosvicl at 12:51 PM on July 10, 2001

Generally, polling questions do contradict themselves, but it really just means people want the net to govern itself, but the companies can't just run roughshod over people's rights as they have.

rosvicl: to your example... No. Yes. 1 of 10.
posted by benjh at 1:00 PM on July 10, 2001

CNN has an interesting angle: Who should oversee the Internet? How about Oprah?

See page 67 of the report (3.8 MB pdf file) for more names...
posted by iblog at 1:01 PM on July 10, 2001