Bitcoin is the first decentralised, peer-to-peer network that allows for the proof and transfer of ownership of virtual currencies without the need for a trusted third party. The purpose of this article is to address how we can capture Bitcoin’s potential benefits for the economy while addressing new regulatory challenges.
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Much of our economy is moving online, but who will pay taxes, when virtual is tax exempted or when only some regions earn from the digital businesses lured by nice lax tax regulation or otherwise. Read up on how the struggle for tax and data are intertwined.
The App Store rejection of the Dutch slavery game ‘Journey into Freedom’ illustrates Apple’s refusal to take games seriously as a medium of expression.
Online fan communities create fascinating and in-depth work based on what they love - but are they in the clear when it comes to copyright?
Early this month, the mobile and internet operator Vodafone released a report putting figures on data disclosures made to governments. That's a first but can it be called real transparency?
An expert working group has presented the concept of a new system of “registration directory services”. The plan is to store personal information of domain name registrants centrally – much to the dissent of privacy advocates.
Edward Snowden can be proud. He has triggered the technical community to revisit cryptography in hardware and algorithms and, standards in internet protocols. Monika Ermert provides a snapshop of latest initiatives presented at RIPE 68.
The marriage between bitcoin cryptocurrency and traditional debit cards, let alone credit cards, remains unaccomplished. Monika Ermert explains why.
Cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin are often seen as a threat by governmental and financial institutions worldwide. Regulation could help minimise the risks involved. The author explores some legal and self-regulatory precedents from which we can learn.
The NETmundial conference on internet governance was heralded as a success. But in civil society, assessments have been more nuanced.
In an ambitious move, the Brazilian government, technical and civil society organised a meeting to address key issues of internet governance. While not everybody was happy with the final result, process-wise it was a landmark meeting.
The computer security vulnerability ‘Heartbleed’ made the headlines worldwide. With operators still patching servers and users changing passwords, the question remains: how to prevent such failures in the future?
Since the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 our international system is based upon the principle of territorial sovereignty. Today, however, cross-border online spaces made possible by the internet span across a system of fragmented national jurisdictions. Tension rises since we do not have the legal equivalent to the technical interoperability that enables the global internet. A choice has to be made.
How can the European Union react to the revelations of mass collection of personal data by domestic or third country spying agencies? Researcher Carlo Piltz discusses the hot topic and proposes a way ahead.
The dominant narrative about the governance of the internet in media and with high-level policymakers is misleading. Researchers Francesca Musiani and Julia Pohle explain what stands in the way of genuine multistakeholder internet governance as all eyes are turning towards Brazil and its NETmundial meeting.
After the announcement that the United States will cease to play a role as steward of the internet's core resources, the community has to come to grips on who and how the replacement will be. The 49th meeting of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) was designed to take first - albeit wobbly - steps.
The debate around internet governance is at full steam in advance of the Brazil's NetMundial conference in April. Especially so since academics have suggested privatising the management of critical internet resources and removing US oversight.
Even after competitors of the old heavyweights .com or .fr were allowed to enter the domain name market, the several hundred applicants need one asset in particular: .patience.
By retracing the stages of development of a 'peer-to-peer cloud' storage service, Francesca Musiani argues that decentralised network architectures are internet governance 'in practice'.
The European Commission today released a position statement on how it hopes to approach internet governance in the coming months. Internet governance specialist Bertrand de la Chapelle reacts to the statement in this op-ed.