[doctorcroc]

Another point to consider is that the more the internet is regulated, the more difficult it is for new entrants to compete , as they have to comply first with existing laws. This is an easy way for incumbents to protect themselves from potentially swift-footed competitors.

[ardy42]

> Another point to consider is that the more the internet is regulated, the more difficult it is for new entrants to compete , as they have to comply first with existing laws. This is an easy way for incumbents to protect themselves from potentially swift-footed competitors.

Perhaps the regulations could be written to be more onerous for the incumbents to implement?

E.g. a new entrant below a certain size is allowed to get away with a good-faith effort and only subject to small fines, while an incumbent is required to have a massive and empowered internal compliance bureaucracy and is subject to massive fines when non-compliant.

[syshum]

That is generally how they are written it is false way to claim you are pro small business by exempting small business from the regulation

All that does however is ensure the competition will ALWAYS be small.

where I am There are alot of employment regulations that kick in when you hire your 51st employee, under 50 and you are exempt, so guess what there are CRAP ton of businesses that can not expand beyond the 50 employee mark, they would love to higher more people but the burdens placed on them once they did would likely cause huge amounts of harm to the business, increase costs and revenue where they would no longer be able to afford that new employee.... Generally it makes is hard for a business to go from 50 to about 75 or 100 employees where the extra burdens no longer matter. So unless a business can double in size it is hard for those business to grow, they end up stagnate and often fail as a result

[simonjgreen]

Not necessarily, it depends on the type of regulation. Regulation enforcing net neutrality, and regulation to combat anti-competitive behaviour, are both examples that enable new entrants.

For a good example, look at the history of BTs enforced breakup in the UK.

[mindgam3]

Fair point and agreed. Also discussed in an earlier comment thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19531722