From a borderless network to a regulated sphere: Legal perspectives on the global rise of internet restrictions

Abstract

Speaker: Gergely Gosztonyi, Digital Authoritarianism Research Lab, Faculty of Law of Eötvös, Loránd University Moderator: Ülker Sözen, University of Passau & Leipzig University The past decade has witnessed an expansion of state-imposed restrictions on the internet, reshaping the legal architecture of digital communication globally. Once seen as a borderless and largely self-regulating space, the internet is increasingly subject to territorial governance, content controls, censorship and platform-centred enforcement mechanisms. From a lawyer’s perspective, this trend raises fundamental questions about sovereignty, freedom of expression, procedural guarantees, and the rule of law in the digital environment. The presentation examines the legal rationales underpinning contemporary internet restrictions, with particular attention to fundamental rights limitations, the privatisation of enforcement through online platforms, and the growing fragmentation of global internet governance. It argues that while regulation is neither avoidable nor inherently illegitimate, the cumulative expansion of restrictive measures risks normalising overbroad control and chilling effects unless anchored in a clear legality, proportionality, and effective accountability framework.