UnitLevel 4Undergraduate

LAW4550 Internet law and regulation

Faculty of Law

LAW4550 Internet law and regulation is a level 4, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Law, offered in 2026 in Semester 2 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.

Credit points
6
Offered in 2026
Semester 2
Clayton
Assessment
No exam
3 tasks
Workload
144 hours
per semester

This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.

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Requisites

Before LAW4550

Prohibitions

You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.

After LAW4550

No unit lists LAW4550 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.

Enrolment rules

You must have completed at least 60 credit points of law study.

Equivalent units

The same content under another code. Only one of them counts.

Overview

This unit will introduce you to the legal issues raised by the internet. The unit will begin with a discussion of the various schools of thought about the application of law to the internet. It will also outline the history of communications legislation in Australia, as well as essential case law. You will be made familiar with the dual role of communications network users as both consumers and citizens and the economic and human rights law arguments pertinent to each category. This will prepare you for later comparative analysis of the case law and legislation of the United Kingdom, European Union, as well as US legislation and case law. The unit will include international or comparative law content from USA, UK and European Union. Topics may include the platform liability duty of care, the under-16 social media ban and regulatory role of the E-safety Commissioner, and network neutrality

Offerings in 2026

Teaching periodCampusMode
Second semesterClaytonOn campus

Assessment

  • Class participationDemonstration
    10%
  • Written assessmentWritten
    30%
  • Research essayWritten
    60%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Learning outcomes

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

  1. 1

    Demonstrate high-level understanding in relation to a range of theories, challenges and legal mechanisms used to regulate the internet.

  2. 2

    Critically analyse the distinct role of Internet law in a range of legal contexts and frameworks, as it affects the use of the internet in both Australian and international contexts.

  3. 3

    Identify, research and synthesise information from a range of sources in order to make informed commentary on the legal and legislative mechanisms in place for regulating the internet in Australian and international contexts.

  4. 4

    Formulate convincing evaluations and judgement on the recent expansion of Internet law and/or its interaction with other laws in both Australian and international contexts.

  5. 5

    Work collaboratively to investigate and persuasively present findings on legal problems related to legal regulation of the internet.

Workload and teaching

  • Seminars36 hours
  • Teaching approachActive learning

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week.  Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Learning resources

Required resources

See the Moodle unit page for prescribed and recommended resources. Prescribed texts are usually available for purchase through the University Bookstore and are sometimes available for short-term loan or as eBooks through the library.

Contacts

Chief Examiners
Professor Chris Marsden

Common questions

What are the prerequisites for LAW4550?

LAW4550 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.

When is LAW4550 offered?

In 2026, LAW4550 runs in Semester 2 at Clayton.

How much work is LAW4550?

The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.

Does LAW4550 have an exam?

No. LAW4550 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.

More details

Credit points
6
Level
4
Study level
Undergraduate
Faculty
Faculty of Law
Type
Coursework
EFTSL
0.125
Student contribution
SCA Band 4
Study abroad
Available
Handbook years
20262027