When the President said that, it was revolutionary in some corners of our country. Of course, some areas demand government regulation. Governments need strong laws to protect intellectual property. And to go after hackers who want to disrupt the Internet or who would cheat consumers online. But even then, governments need to work with the private sector to identify the solutions that protect the public but allow the Internet to continue to prosper.
Government has a different role in other areas.
In America, the number one concern of consumers online is privacy. They want their privacy protected. They demand their privacy be protected. But for the most part, we protect privacy through self-regulation. And government's role regarding content is also different.