Civic Responsibility

One group of civic leaders who have taken the lead on this issue are state attorneys general—the top law enforcement officials on the state level. A number of attorneys general are leading the charge to make sure that both companies and individuals live up to basic civic and legal standards online.

The role of government is the same in our online community as it is in our local communities: to set the rules of conduct for people and businesses, and to enforce these rules when needed.

We believe it’s possible to do that without the need for a heavy-handed government presence online—after all, a free society functions best when individuals and businesses govern themselves. All we ask is that the government play the same positive role in keeping us safe and free online as they do in our offline neighborhoods—and we can help them succeed by participating in the process and helping them develop the right solutions.