Law Commons^™

Trends In Global Nanotechnology Regulation: The Public-Private Interplay, Reut Snir

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Over the last decade, concerns regarding potential exposure to nano materials gave rise to substantial new regulation intended to ensure safe development of nanotechnology applications. This Article examines the resultant regulatory system through empirical analysis of trends and patterns in global development of nanotechnology regulatory initiatives. It argues that rather than a government-driven process, it was private actors who set the regulatory wheels in motion. This Article shows that under conditions of scientific uncertainty, governments lacking technical and scientific knowledge to support risk-based regulation often leave a regulatory void. Consequently, businesses apply self-risk-management strategies to fill the gap, leading the …