Issues

Networks, the Internet, and Cloud Computing

This section contains research on the networks that make the Internet work, the evolution of different business models that operate on the Internet, and ways to store and access information on the Internet through Cloud Computing.

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Fact Sheets

Wireless and Mobile Communications

Wireless or “mobile” devices send information one-to-one (like mobile phones), one-to-many (like AM or FM radio), or many-to-many (like Wi-Fi Internet access). Wireless devices send and receive signals along the electromagnetic spectrum in the form of waves similar to visible light or sound.

Search Engines, Advertising, and Auctions

Search engines – such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, and a variety of other smaller search engines – help users find what they are looking for online by finding web pages that match user-entered keywords. Search engines are free to users, but typically earn revenue through paid advertising.

Net Neutrality

Given the significance of the Internet, preserving its “openness” – an idea often referred to as “network neutrality” or “net neutrality” – has been a long-standing issue.

Cloud Computing

“Cloud computing” describes how computer-related services and software increasingly have been provided over the Internet and other networks since the late 1990s.

Broadband Access and Infrastructure

High-speed Internet access – often referred to as “broadband” – is a set of technologies that, taken together, are recognized as a potential catalyst for global economic and social change.

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TAP Academics

Neil Richards
Washington University in St. Louis
Privacy and Security, Networks, the Internet, and Cloud Computing, Internet

Hal R. Varian
University of California, Berkeley
Networks, the Internet, and Cloud Computing, Internet, Search and Advertising

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TAP Blog

Jonathan Zittrain Explains Why the Internet Is Rotting

In Professor Jonathan Zittrain’s article, “The Internet is Rotting,” he explains how link rot and content drift are eroding the knowledge entrusted to the World Wide Web. And he shares some of the tools being developed to combat this content decay.

TAP Staff Blogger

July 12, 2021

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Upcoming Events

Aspen Forum

August 15, 2021, Aspen CO

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Quote

Democrats Want To Hold Social Media Companies Responsible For Health Misinformation

If health misinformation is constitutionally protected, then there's really not a lot Congress can do about that. Removing Section 230, which is a liability shield, doesn't expose a [social media] service to any new liability, because the Constitution will fill in the protection. — Eric Goldman, Professor of Law, Santa Clara University

Eric Goldman
National Public Radio
July 22, 2021

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The Song Remains the Same: What Cyberlaw Might Teach the Next Internet Economy

Regulation is not truly incompatible with innovation. Over time, businesses that once resisted regulation will welcome the involvement of government, and regulators will learn to adopt creative solutions to new problems, just as in the early days of the Internet.

By: Kevin Werbach

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