Information policy

Information policy is the set of all public laws, regulations, and policies that encourage, discourage, or regulate the creation, use, storage, access, and communication and dissemination of information.^[1] The concept encompasses any other decision-making practice with society-wide constitutive efforts that involve the flow of information and how it is processed.^[2]

Several fundamental issues that comprise information policy.^[3] Most prominent are public policy issues concerned with the use of information for democratization and commercialization of social life. These issues include the digital divide, intellectual property, economic regulations, freedom of expression, confidentiality or privacy of information, information security, access management, and regulating the dissemination of public information.^{[citation needed]} The most common audience for information policy analysis includes undergraduate and graduate students, scholars, policymakers, policy analysts, as well as those members of the public who have taken an interest in understanding the effects of the laws and regulations involving information.^[3]