What aspects of what is market-organised need to be regulated in the public interest? Just as the banking industry has shown not to function in the public interest without regulation, nor the nature-exploiting industry, so also our knowledge environment cannot be left to profit-oriented actors alone. After the collapse of the world economy nationalisation of private companies is no longer taboo. Not a few people have suggested that Google has become an essential infrastructure that should be socialised.
Our society has long provided basic informational services to all: education, libraries, museums, public broadcast, health, the infrastructure of traffic of humans, things and information, funded through societal redistribution by taxes and mandatory broadcast fees. What is to be considered essential goods in the digital age? What is added value and offers business opportunities?