Does the exponential growth of the Internet really mark a revolution in human interaction and communication, providing truly democratic access to information and ideas? Or, compounded by a growing number of competing interests now arguing for the introduction of more rigorous controls, will the full potential of the Internet fail to be recognised? Liberating Cyberspace is the first volume to assess the impact of the Internet on our basic civil rights. Addressing the key questions, contributors from Britain and the United States examine a range of topics, from copyright and encryption to free speech, privacy and freedom of information. A series of critical case studies considers the potential of the Internet for promoting international women's rights, its the role in the McLibel trial, and to what extent the Internet can or should create new copyright and property laws of its own. Controversial and topical, Liberating Cyberspace sheds valuable new light on some of the fundamental issues of modern global communication.