The Internet is based on the following ideas: User control, innovation, trust, and openness/competition. Even though America needs to fight terrorism and protect intellectual property rights, the real challenge is mediating these concerns. This means trying to balance government intrusion with the free expression of ideas and speech on the Internet. This will be an ominous task indeed. However, it is essential to realize that democracy cannot survive with a government intent on using draconian measures to stifle Internet free speech.

If unrealistic restrictions were imposed on free speech, the Blogosphere would be impacted to the point of elimination, Therefore, Internet freedom and the Blogosphere are closely associated. The following is from Center for Democracy and Technology.

So the challenge we face going forward is to develop an Internet policy framework that addresses these clear needs while at the same time promoting the innovation and other values that have fostered the growth of this amazing medium. The higher education community, which hosted many of the wizards who created the Internet and which has woven this technology into every aspect of education, has a responsibility to work to defend the policy framework based on user control, innovation, trust, and openness/competition—so that the Internet in years to come is able to reach its potential as an empowering platform for learning, democracy, commerce, and human development.