Media convergence, obscenity law and the Internet

Digitization and innovation in technology has resulted in a climate of media convergence. Media convergence occurs when elements of previously distinctly separate media forms co-mingle to create new capabilities. Although there is no such thing as complete convergence as of yet, there is probably the closest thing to a purely converged medium. Any user is able to access a variety of text, hypertext, graphic, audio and video files online. However, it is also because of media convergence that makes the Internet difficult to regulate. Laws that were proposed to provide some form of legal control to the access of online content have been met with strong opposition. This thesis will discuss the elements of media convergence and the Internet, difficulties in creating laws for a convergent medium, and examine potential solutions, independent of government action, that could help provide some form of control in the currently anarchical realm of cyberspace