Cyberspace and the Law: What are Our Rights and Responsibilities?

2013 David A. Garfinkel Essay Scholarship

The 2013 David A. Garfinkel Essay Scholarship topic of Cyberspace and the Law: What are Our Rights and Responsibilities? can act in the classroom as a prepared Document Based Question. It was prepared in 2012 and the resources have not been updated since that time. For more information about recent legal developments, consult national and state newspapers, legal databases, and your librarian.

Most people agree that modern society has benefited in countless ways from the development of the Internet and other digital technologies. Cyberspace is such a valuable part of our everyday lives that we seldom stop to think about how our constitutional rights are impacted by it. Nonetheless, we are at a defining moment in history and decisions made today concerning the application of our Federal and State constitutional rights to cyberspace will impact our lives and those of future generations for better or for worse.

This activity meets the following guidelines of New York State’s Common Core Social Studies Framework (2017):

• The United States in a Globalizing World: 11.11b
• Civil Rights and Civil Liberties: 12.G2d

Topic Background PDF

Below is a list of the 2013 resources in a searchable table. Search by theme of resource: cyberbullying, digital piracy, privacy in peril, or government surveillance.