Cyberspace and International Law: In search of an Optimal Regulatory Model

Cyberspace has become an integral part of the modern world transforming traditional social institutions having a tremendous impact on all processes taking place in society. Such a degree of influence requires effective means of legal regulation. The extraterritoriality of cyberspace and its significance within the framework of the concept of the common heritage of mankind do not allow us to apply traditional ways of regulating public relations, forcing us to look for more relevant and optimal models. A universal approach to solving this problem has not been developed so far. The problem of developing norms for regulating relations developing in cyberspace is not so much legal as political, strategic in nature, which does not allow states of different ideological views and ideas to come to a consensus on this issue. The article analyzes advantages and disadvantages of alternative models of cyberspace regulation in order to identify the most optimal mechanism in the modern world. The results of the study demonstrate the absence of a single ideal model of regulation. Due to the low probability of reaching consensus in cyberspace regulation in the near future, a proposal is made on possible options for starting an international dialogue concerning development of optimal regulation: the idea of an integrated approach in the field of the Internet regulation, combining the strengths of each of the approaches under consideration. The concept of participation of all stakeholders in the decision-making process concerning regulation of cyberspace, based on generally recognized principles and norms of international law and taking into account the specific nature of the cyber environment, can potentially act as a new model for regulating the digital space.

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