Who Controls the Internet

Illusions of a Borderless World

By: Jack Goldsmith, Tim Wu

Narrated by: Bob Loza

Is the Internet erasing national borders? Who's really in control of what's happening on the Net--Internet engineers, rogue programmers, the United Nations, or powerful countries? In this provocative new book, Jack Goldsmith and Tim Wu tell the fascinating story of the Internet's challenge to governmental rule in the 1990s, and the ensuing battles with governments around the world. It's a book about the fate of one idea--that the Internet might liberate us forever from government, borders, and even our physical selves.

We learn of Google's struggles with the French government and Yahoo's capitulation to the Chinese regime; of how the European Union sets privacy standards on the Net for the entire world; and of eBay's struggles with fraud and how it slowly learned to trust the FBI. In a decade of events, the original vision was uprooted, as governments time and time again asserted their power to direct the future of the Internet. The destiny of the Internet over the next decades, argue Goldsmith and Wu, will reflect the interests of powerful nations and the conflicts within and between them. Well written and filled with fascinating examples, this is a work that is bound to stir heated debate in the cyberspace community.

©2008 Jack Goldsmith (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Credit-worthy selection!

Absolutely one of the best selections I've ever made on Audible. From the superlative writing to the exceptionally good narration this book delivers. Anyone with even a passing interest in the Internet will find this intelligent treatment of the subject a rewarding listen. It is indeed an insightful book and I commend the authors for their excellent work. It is deserving of high praise. -Nelson Mullins

Mostly delves into questions of law

I expected this book to "follow the money", and delve into the extent to which the interests of large corporations have molded the evolution of the internet. Instead, this book investigates the legal implications of a "borderless" medium such as the Internet. In other words, how do the laws of one land apply to content that originates in another land? How do companies comply with the variable free speech laws of different nations (China vs. the U.S. for instance).

For me, I found it getting tedious about halfway through. Possibly more interesting to a law student.

Market evolution of disruptive technologies

Excellent overview on how truly widespread disruptive innovation gets to deal with market dynamics and government oversight. Successful and failed stories described the evolution very vividly.

Interesting

I have enjoyed listening to this book and have got some good insights about the internet, law, governments, and how companies do business on it. There was also an interesting section on piracy too. Recommended.

Interesting look behind the fog of cyberspace

Very interesting look into how the internet was started, how it operates at its core, and how governments and other institutions can influence what happens on the internet and exert their power in direct & indirect ways that isn't always obvious.

If you read "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman, this presents an alternate and complementary view point of the internet and its affects on the world.