6.805 | Fall 2005 | Undergraduate

Ethics and the Law on the Electronic Frontier

Course Description

This course considers the interaction between law, policy, and technology as they relate to the evolving controversies over control of the Internet. In addition, there will be an in-depth treatment of privacy and the notion of "transparency" – regulations and technologies that govern the use of information, as well as …

This course considers the interaction between law, policy, and technology as they relate to the evolving controversies over control of the Internet. In addition, there will be an in-depth treatment of privacy and the notion of “transparency” – regulations and technologies that govern the use of information, as well as access to information. Topics explored will include:

  • Legal Background for Regulation of the Internet
  • Fourth Amendment Law and Electronic Surveillance
  • Profiling, Data Mining, and the U.S. PATRIOT Act
  • Technologies for Anonymity and Transparency
  • The Policy-Aware Web
Learning Resource Types
Exams
Lecture Notes
Written Assignments
Activity Assignments
Photo montage showing the US Constitution and legal files.
The regulation of the Internet has its origin in the U.S. Constitution. Technology continues to shape policies governing the use of the electronic frontier. (Image by MIT OpenCourseWare.)