Law Commons^™

The Death Of The Public Forum In Cyberspace, Dawn C. Nunziato

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

The Internet has been conceptualized as a forum for free expression with near limitless potential for individuals to express themselves and to access the expression of others. But that potential is in danger of being seriously hampered as a result of the privatization of Internet forums for expression. During the Clinton Administration, the government undertook measures to turn over many aspects of the Internet to private entities. The end result of this increased private control is that, in contrast to real space, speech in cyberspace occurs almost exclusively within privately-owned places. The public/private balance that characterizes real space and renders …