Computer, 4th Edition

15 Computing and Governance

DOI: 10.4324/9781003263272-21

OUR ABILITY TO SURF THE WEB, scroll through a newsfeed, and even buy a computer depends on several overlapping systems of law and policy. Governments at all levels are involved in creating and enforcing rules that shape some of the most important themes in the history of computing: how inventors transform raw materials into new components and devices, how firms can compete to sell or lease a product, and how end-users can acquire and use technologies new and old. Conversely, the spread of new technologies can trigger major changes in law and policy, sometimes generating unprecedented legal crises that take decades to resolve. Indeed, systems of governance – from legal and regulatory ...