Reporters Without Borders has been investigating countries that operate some of the most restrictive and oppressive areas of cyberspace. Syria and Iran join China, Bahrain and Vietnam on top of the list of five spy state. But how do they manage it?

The fact is that the open Internet has been used by young people since the early nineties and those early digital natives -- now in their mid to late 20s -- seem to be doing OK, despite the ready availability of online porn, drug sites, hate sites and sites advocating all sorts of social evils.

While the Internet has faced various threats in its young life, countries that appreciate the economic and societal benefits are waking up to the very real threat of international governmental control.

Some of the lessons learned from the dangers of legislation like SOPA should be the need for forbearance and a well-researched, multi-stakeholder derived policy to avoid unintended consequences.

Economic diplomats worldwide need to intensify their focus on Internet-related trade. Taking steps to develop international norms should lay the foundation for new technology issues that are approaching.

For the most part, parents do have a clue when it comes to helping their kids stay safe online.

Although Google's decision to stop censoring search results is commendable, it is unlikely to have any major implications on China's extensive filtering practices.

You don't have to be an expert at using these devices to make them safe for your kids.