We exercise a significant part of our human rights today using the Internet and the wider digital environment. But our human rights can also be breached using these very same means. There is general agreement that human rights should be enjoyed online as they are offline. In practice, however, the actors who can ensure that we enjoy human rights are not exactly the same in the two environments. In particular, the disproportionate influence and control that certain states and certain private companies exercise on the Internet and its physical infrastructure at the global level, are two essential elements of this difference. This issue paper looks at how the rule of law can be maintained in an environment characterised by these specific governance issues, focusing on some policy areas of particular human rights relevance: freedom of expression, data protection and privacy, cybercrime and national security. It suggests possible ways forward to ensure that we can trust the rule of law to apply to our online activities.

Human rights, democracy and the rule of law depend on the institutions that give them form. But for populists, who invoke the proclaimed “will of the people”, these institutional checks and balances on power are often seen as an obstacle that should be subverted. This is the fifth annual report of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on the state of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Europe. As with previous reports, the five chapters look at the key building blocks of democratic security: efficient, impartial and independent judiciaries; freedom of expression; freedom of assembly and freedom of association; democratic institutions; and inclusive societies.

The rule of law in cyberspace currently faces serious challenges. From the democratic system to the exercise of fundamental rights, the Internet has raised a host of new issues for classic legal institutions. This book provides a valuable contribution to the fields of international, constitutional and administrative law scholarship as the three interact in cyberspace. The respective chapters cover topics such as the notion of digital states and digital sovereignty, jurisdiction over the Internet, e-government, and artificial intelligence. The authors are eminent scholars and international experts with a profound knowledge of these topics. Particular attention is paid to the areas of digital democracy, digital media and regulation of the digital world. The approach employed is based on a comparative perspective from Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal and Brazil. One particular focus is on how various legal systems are coping with increasing difficulties in the exercise of democracy with regard to disinformation and hate speech. The roles of legislators, the judicial system and public administrations are analysed in the light of the latest cases, conflicts and technologies. In addition to this comparative approach, the book explores the evolution of rule of law in cyberspace and the upcoming new legal regimes in the European Union and Brazil. Special care is taken to offer a critical review of both the literature and the latest legal solutions adopted and being considered regarding the regulation of cyberspace from a constitutional and administrative perspective. Given its scope, the book will be of interest to researchers and scholars in the field of digital law whose work involves constitutional problems in cyberspace and/or practical problems concerning the regulation of social networks and online commerce.

This is an open access book. As a leading role in the global megatrend of scientific innovation, China has been creating a more and more open environment for scientific innovation, increasing the depth and breadth of academic cooperation, and building a community of innovation that benefits all. These endeavors have made new contribution to globalization and creating a community of shared future. To adapt to this changing world and China's fast development in this new area, the 2nd International Conference on Internet, Education and Information Technology (IEIT 2022) is to be held in April 15-17, 2022. This conference takes “bringing together global wisdom in scientific innovation to promote high-quality development" as the theme and focuses on research fields including information technology, education, big data, and Internet. This conference aims to expand channels of international academic exchange in science and technology, build a sharing platform of academic resources, promote scientific innovation on the global scale, improve academic cooperation between China and the outside world. It also aims to encourage exchange of information on research frontiers in different fields, connect the most advanced academic resources in China and abroad, turn research results into industrial solutions, bring together talents, technologies and capital to boost development.

This book reviews and assesses the status quo concerning the rule of law in China in 2017 and predicts its future development in such fields as legislation, judicial reform, civil, commercial and economic law, social law, safeguarding of human rights, criminality, Internet finance, the securities market, pilot free trade zones, administrative public interest litigation, regulation of investment management business, and AI. The book consists of a series of reports on the assessment of rule of law carried out by the Innovation Project Team on the Rule of Law Index at the Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Drawing on data from web portals and using the methods of browsing websites and verifying results through phone calls, the book includes assessment reports on the government transparency of 54 departments under the State Council and the governments of 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government), 49 larger cities, and 100 counties (cities and districts). In addition, reports are provided on the judicial transparency of the Supreme People’s Court, 31 higher people’s courts, and the intermediate people’s courts of 49 larger cities, the procuratorial transparency of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate and people’s procuratorates of 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) and 49 larger cities, as well as the maritime judicial transparency of 10 maritime courts in the country. The book also includes reports on disclosure of information and transparency in the public security organs of four municipalities directly under the Central Government and 27 provincial (autonomous regional) capitals. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable asset for legal scholars, lawyers, judges, prosecutors, graduate and undergraduate students, and all those who are interested in Chinese law and the country’s rule of law index.

In this, the third edition of Private International Law and the Internet, Professor Dan Svantesson provides a detailed and insightful account of what is emerging as the most crucial current issue in private international law; that is, how the Internet affects and is affected by the four fundamental questions: When should a lawsuit be entertained by the courts? Which state's law should be applied? When should a court that can entertain a lawsuit decline to do so? And will a judgment rendered in one country be recognized and enforced in another? He identifies and investigates twelve characteristics of Internet communication that are relevant to these questions, and then proceeds with a detailed discussion of what is required of modern private international law rules. Professor Svantesson's approach focuses on several issues that have far-reaching practical consequences in the Internet context, including the following: • cross-border defamation; • cross-border business contracts; • cross-border consumer contracts; and • cross-border intellectual property issues. A wide survey of private international law solutions encompasses insightful and timely analyses of relevant laws adopted in a variety of countries including Australia, England, Hong Kong, the United States, Germany, Sweden, and China as well as in a range of international instruments. There is also a chapter on advances in geo-identification technology and its special value for legal practice. The book concludes with two model international conventions, one on cross-border defamation and one on cross-border contracts; as well as a set of practical check-lists to guide legal practitioners faced with cross-border matters within the discussed fields. Professor Svantesson's book brings together a wealth of research findings in the overlapping disciplines of law and technology that will be of particular utility to practitioners and academics working in this new and rapidly changing field. His thoughtful analysis of the interplay of the developing Internet and private international law will also be of great value, as will the tools he offers with which to anticipate the future. Private International Law and the Internet provides a remarkable stimulus to continue working towards globally acceptable rules on jurisdiction, applicable law, and recognition and enforcement of judgments for communication via the Internet.