Governing Internet Expression: Sketching Out the Borders of a Global Default of Freedom of Expression

This chapter argues that communities of practice construct a global regime of competence which enables a ‘global default’ of free expression governance. While there are parts of the regime that draw from public regulation and even state legislation, the vast majority of the regime is based on private norms and practices. The regime itself is embedded within agreements between private sector actors, who are responsible for definition, management and implementation of the regime. In conclusion it argues that the regulation of technical systems is consistently preferred to the regulation of individual human beings, which is itself a key enabler of the global default.