Digital Regulation of Online Communication: Privacy and Oblivion versus Publicity and Trust

Cyber-space creates transparency similar to small groups’ collective action. Digital regulative tools (code and behavior patterns) replace the openness of human life in a traditional community. Online communicative activity is regulated by State laws, cultural habits to perceive and react, program code (limited ways of acting), ethical norms. Thus, courtesy rules differ for interaction by email, social media (channels, blogs) or messengers’ chats. Survey results show the balance of regulation tools.

I. Introduction

Social regulation of communication is traditionally based on the visible behavior of humans that is analyzed and sanctioned by the community members. A balance between an individual’s freedom and the publicity of collective action could be located on the ax between the total transparency in networking and the ostracism, exclusion and autarky.