Policymakers understand that alongside the profound societal, individual and corporate benefits of the online revolution, there is also the potential for the Internet to be exploited by bad actors. For example at a national level we see political interference, misinformation and the enabling of terrorism and at a personal level the misuse of data, and cyber-harassment and the associated impact on mental health.

A formal definition for 'Internet Regulation' doesn’t yet exist. However, one way to view it is the response taken by policymakers to put in place appropriate safeguards for the Internet. Safeguards such that the Internet can be continued to be used for its positive uses whilst reducing the inherent and systematic risks that have become the by-product of a global connected network. These safeguards fall into 12 Key Topic Areas:

For more details on each of these topics and to keep up to date with trends across each topic please visit our Internet Brief page where you can sign up for monthly emails to update you on global developments impacting the Internet.

"In the last 40 years there has been an explosion of digital communications enabled by the Internet. From bulletin boards and blogs, to social networks, to video streaming apps and endless comment threads, we all use the internet to work, learn, plan and live many other parts of our lives.

"But as the world has become connected, we're facing the same challenges we see in the real world - with harmful and antisocial behaviour, political misinformation and crime - but now unconstrained by national borders and able to spread instantly and affect many more people. Naturally, policymakers are looking to ensure that the Internet is a safe and open space for everyone."

Nick Seeber, Internet Regulation Lead Partner Deloitte UK

Whilst the 'Big Tech' organisations of Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft are the primary intended targets of much of the new wave of regulation, there are many more digital native companies that will also be implicated. A useful way to view this is to consider the different Internet archetypes that exist:

Additionally, the reach of digital businesses and the implications of Internet Regulation goes beyond the world of 'Big Tech'. Companies such as utilities, healthcare providers, retailers and manufacturers are all evolving new business models that place as much reliance on customer and business environment data as any Internet Company.

Over the last few years, some landmark Internet regulations, primarily in Europe, have become household names (e.g. the EU General Data Protection Regulation and the upcoming EU Digital Services and Digital Markets Acts). However, there are in fact a huge number of Internet regulations globally that touch upon one or more of the topics listed above with varying levels of requirements, clarity and alignment.

However, when you look into the detail of these regulations it is becoming clear that that jurisdictions and regulations across the Globe are converging on the key principles of trust, safety and competition across all regulatory topics. Organisations would be well placed focussing on a proactive and holistic approach to these concepts, rather than addressing the individual regulations in a siloed and one-off exercise.

For a timeline view of recent regulatory developments please visit our Internet Brief page where you can sign up for monthly emails to update you on global developments impacting the Internet.

Failing to respond to this regulatory shift could have enormous strategic, financial, reputational, legal and operational impacts on Internet Companies as well as other companies that may fall under their scope.

Many of the organisations that will be impacted by these regulations have typically focused on growth: products, users and usage, content, channel partnerships and enabling IP and talent. But in a more highly regulated environment, the challenges of governance, compliance, accountability and trust will need to be more prominent.

There are however many benefits to complying with these regulations ranging from increased trust from customers, the ability to scale at speed safely and simplifying compliance so that more time can be spent on innovation and growth.

We believe that a once-in-an-era opportunity for competitive advantage presents itself for those organisations who can use their innovation skills to meet these compliance challenges.