{"id":666,"date":"2026-01-29T10:52:41","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T10:52:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.orangewebsite.com\/articles\/?p=666"},"modified":"2026-01-30T06:40:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T06:40:00","slug":"just-who-owns-the-internet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orangewebsite.com\/articles\/just-who-owns-the-internet\/","title":{"rendered":"Just Who Owns the Internet?"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\n
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Just Who Owns the Internet?<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Some connect to it, some surf it, and others are addicted to it. We use it to keep up-to-date and to stay connected. It has been referred to as the web. the 'net, and the world-wide-web. It, of course, is the internet. But just what is \u201cit\u201d? What are its components, what is it most often used for and just who, after all, owns the internet?<\/p>\n

You may be in for some surprises.<\/p>\n

Components of the Internet<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The internet is an increasingly large network of wires and wireless systems that serve to connect a variety of devices that communicate with\u00a0each other through a set of common language protocols. Today, it is actually a network of networks that are all interconnected in a web-like fashion.<\/p>\n

The internet can be best described as a network\u00a0but to be functional the network needs a language and hardware to make it useful.<\/p>\n

There are, of course, wired and wireless aspects to the internet. You may have cable television that connects you to the internet or cell towers that accomplish wireless cellphone connectivity. Overseas connections may be accomplished through fiber optic cables running along the ocean floor or through satellite or radio transmissions.<\/p>\n

Hardware is generally divided into clients or servers. Clients include hardware that makes use of data found on the internet like a desktop or laptop computer, cell phone or printer. Servers are devices that store information and software that allows this information to be shared among client devices.<\/p>\n

The language of the internet is\u00a0so critical in its functionality that it is generally accepted that it wasn't until Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP) was created as the protocol suite, (TCP\/IP) in 1982, that the internet was \u201cborn\u201d. The Internet Society offers a\u00a0more in-depth look at this history of the internet<\/a> for those\u00a0interested in pursuing more details.<\/p>\n

Major Uses of the Internet<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Recent statistics show that just over 25% of all communications on the internet are conducted in English. Chinese is second at about 20% with 8% of users speaking Spanish. China, with over 730 million online users, has the most internet users followed by India, with over 460 million users. As far as the United States is concerned, the country has 289 million online users, accounting for an almost 90% penetration rate. Worldwide, it is estimated there are over 3.5 billion internet users. What are all these people using the internet for?<\/p>\n

If the world's most visited websites are any indication, the internet is mostly used to gather and share information. Google is the most often visited site on the planet followed by YouTube and Facebook. It is interesting to note that about 51% of all internet traffic in 2017 was performed by some form of \u201cbot\u201d while about 49% was from human activity.<\/p>\n

Like previous media, advertising has found its place at home on the internet. Spending in 2017 on internet marketing exceeded that of television for the first time.<\/p>\n

Who Owns the Internet?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

What makes this such an interesting question is the answer may depend on why the question is being asked.<\/p>\n

If it is being asked to determine who has\u00a0control<\/em>\u00a0of the internet, \u201ccontrol\u201d is most often a result of government regulations. In this case, governments control the internet in their own countries, usually based on how \u201cfree\u201d that country may be. According to the non-profit group Freedom House, the five most restrictive countries regarding freedom on the internet include:<\/p>\n