THE WORLD WIDE WEB OF DESIRE: Content Regulation on the Internet

It is obvious that the discourse around content regulation has shifted mostly towards the protection of children from harmful content and child pornography on the internet. Any references to gender-related concerns were dropped, including even problematic conceptions that women and children need the paternalistic protection of the state or international bodies from harmful content. One can speculate that this could possibly mean (in a positive sense) that women are no longer viewed only as “victims” and because of their own agency do not require the protectionist attitude of the state. Or, on the other hand, women’s movements, feminists and others working on gender have encountered and realised the hazards of demanding protection from the state, in the interests of their own freedom of expression and because of their alliances with civil society, non-governmental organisations and social movements.

Author: Namita Malhotra
Published by: APC Women's Networking Support Programme
Year of publishing: 2007
Type: Gender Assessments and Research
Process: Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
Languages covered: English
Regional and country focus: Global
Issues covered: Violence Against Women, Governance, Communication Rights  
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