Internet Statistics: Explanations and Sources

Publication Date: April 2003

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Media, telecommunications, and information

Type:

Abstract:

The Internet presents a unique problem for surveying users. Since there is no central registry of all Internet users, completing a census or attempting to contact every user of the Internet is neither practical nor financially feasible. Congress may play a vital role in many Internet policy decisions, including whether Congress should legislate the amount of personally identifiable information that Web site operators collect and share; whether high-speed Internet access should be regulated; whether unsolicited e-mail ("spam") should be restricted; and whether Congress should oversee computer security cooperation between the federal government and private industry.

The breadth of these issues demonstrates the Internet's importance to American society and its economy. Because of this, it is important to quantify the Internet's influence statistically. This is not always easy, because there are a number of factors which make it difficult to measure the Internet. In evaluating statistics, it is important to understand how they are compiled, how they are used, and what their limitations are.