[tpeo]

I feel uneasy when I see people suggesting regulation by analogy e.g. with public utility regulation, as if laws regulating one sector could be transplanted onto another. Regulation must be properly thought through. But people seem to be rushing in to say that "this must be regulated" instead, even though it's not yet quite clear what "this" is. Is it "fake news"? Is it free speech? Is it market share? Yet these are all different issues.

For example, a case for economic regulation can be made for any service which exhibits network externalities. This might go in the way of limiting the market power of tech firms. But that would come short of pro-free speech regulations, and might say nothing about "fake news".