The Law Handbook 2024

732 7.5 The internet and the law NOTE The law in this chapter is current as at 1 September 2023. Introduction This chapter covers the most common legal issues that affect users of the internet, such as: • copyright; • defamation; • harassment and stalking; • privacy infringement; • consumer protection. Key terms Term Abbreviation Meaning internet service provider ISP A company that offers access to the internet internet content host ICH Provides websites internet protocol address IP address An IP address identifies the particular device that is connected to the internet. Every device that uses the internet has a unique IP address. uniform resource locator URL A web address; also known as a domain name web server The hardware and related software that are connected to the telecommunications network and form the internet. Web servers host websites and social media platforms, and can store data. What exactly is the internet? The internet is a network of computers and similar devices that are linked together through the telecommunications network. No one owns the inter­ net and it has no central location or administration. The internet allows all connected devices to exchange and share data. Most users connect to the internet through an internet service provider. Devices (e.g. smartphones, tablets and computers) that have a web browser installed allow the user to retrieve webpages that are located on a web server. The three types of people or organisations involved in creating and providing online content are: 1 the content provider , who creates the material, which is then uploaded onto a website; 2 the internet content host (ICH) , who provides the website and has control over what is uploaded (i.e. published); cloud hosting services are a type of internet content hosting service that use multiple connected servers and enable greater accessibility than a single host server; 3 the internet service provider (ISP) , who supplies internet carriage services so that the material can be transmitted to individual computers, and then viewed and downloaded. Legal issues relating to the internet: A summary Legal issues relating to the internet can be divided into three main areas of internet use: 1 Publishing information or providing content including text, sound, images and film (e.g. Internet Protocol Television, where television services are delivered using the internet instead of being delivered through free-to-air, satellite and pay, or cable platforms, or streaming platforms such as YouTube); 2 Selling goods and services , known generally as e-commerce; and 3 Communicating and networking via email and related services (e.g. Twitter, Voice over Internet Contributor: Nicholas Bird, Barrister