The Benefits and the Risks of Internet Freedom

French President Nicolas Sarkozy says the Internet is so pervasive that governments must regulate it or face what he calls "anarchy." At his so-called eG8 summit, he got push-back from the leaders of Amazon, Facebook and Google, and from other heads of state as well. The pervasiveness of the Internet has empowered millions of people and made it a force for democracy, but it's also a threat to privacy, intellectual property rights, national security and social morality. If they're left alone, will private Internet companies use that power for their own interests? What benefits might be lost if governments decide to step in?