Executive Summary

This report, compiled by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner for the Markle Foundation, is one of the first and most extensive studies of Americans opinion toward the Internet. It finds people extremely enthusiastic about the Internet, particularly as a powerful new source of information. They express a desire for new forms of public, private, and non-profit governance of the Internet in order to give them more protection and control when they go online.

At the same time, both the public and opinion elites express a range of concerns about online interactions; concerns that stem to a significant degree from the more impersonal and intangible character of the Internet and the unmediated access to information it provides.

Methodology

This is a report based on the following sources:

• A national Greenberg Quinlan Rosner survey of 2,393 adults, conducted from October 2-23, 2000.
• A follow-up survey of 1000 likely voters conducted 11-13, 2001 survey.
• A survey of 200 randomly-selected Internet experts, conducted from October 2-23, 2000.
• A web survey of 1,049 adults with an oversample of 315 teenagers (ages 15-17), conducted from October 28-November 3, 2000.
• Ten focus groups, conducted from May 30-June 6, 2000.
• Two one-hour, online focus groups, conducted on June 15, 2000. One group with teenagers (ages 15-17), and the second group with rural Americans. 
• Fifteen in-depth interviews conducted between May 30- June 6, 2000 with a variety of prominent individuals actively involved with the Internet.

Key Findings

• Internet experts doubt the ability of policymakers to develop rules and systems for online accountability.
• Nearly half of all Internet experts say that existing institutions that make rules regarding the Internet are doing a just fair or poor job of reflecting the public's interest.
• Americans believe a wide range of sectors, institutions, and individuals should all have a role in governance of the Internet.