The damage to the diplomatic process has been disproportionate to the public benefit.
For the first years of the internet, the almost wholly unregulated state of affairs gave the cyber world much of its attraction. Yet it never seemed probable that so powerful a system of communications could be maintained as unregulated.
The European Union is one of the less aggressive regulators, certainly less formidable than China or the United States. However, it is the EU that has decided to investigate search engine Google for allegedly abusing its power.
I suspect we are entering into the second stage of the relationship between nation states and the regulation of cyber systems. It will involve individuals and huge corporations; it will involve cyber war, or at least defences against cyber wars; it will involve the rights and duties of the media.
It will raise the most serious philosophical questions. It will involve fundamental issues of national power. We do not know how far regulation will go, but the nations will increasingly want to bring the system under their control.
Nature abhors a vacuum. For the past 20 years there has been very little regulation of the cyber world. WikiLeaks has challenged the right of governments to keep their own secrets. Governments will fight back with new regulations.
Much more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1335699/These-leaks-spell-doom-web-freedom.html
See also:
The WikiLeaks dump is a preview of coming attractions. The next installment could be more dangerous and disruptive. Forewarned should be forearmed.
