Space Colony Essay

Since its humble beginnings as ARPANET, the internet has become a tool in which citizens can “exercise...a range of human rights, and promote progress of a society as a whole” (United Nations 1). If the United States and its allies were to create a space colony, it would be safe to assume that such a colony would feature a democratic form of government. When this colony is developing laws, it is safe to assume that such laws would not differ much from what society currently deems as human rights here on earth. Therefore; a feature of the space colony must be universal access to a liberally self-regulated internet because it is a facilitator of a host of human rights. The advent of the internet has helped promote freedoms such as the right to opinion, expression, and communication, and it has also enabled economic growth. In a new society, it is imperative that a majority of citizens have access to the internet, so as to decrease the “digital divide.” The United Nations Human Rights Council defines the “digital divide” as “the gap between people affective access to digital and …show more content…
Therefore, rather than proposing a specific internet content regulation law to institute in the space colony, it would be better to propose a method for developing a law that would satisfy the citizens of this new society. Renee Keen, a legal advisor for the largest trademark company in the United States, argues that a policy regarding content regulation on the internet should adhere to the following principles:
(1) clearly articulate the objectives of the government; (2) reflect the stated objectives; (3) exhibit transparency in order to ensure that the policy reflects the stated objectives; (4) acquire legitimacy through a valid foundation in offline laws; and (5) be effective in accomplishing its intended purpose