Google urges government to avoid future-gazing in Communications Bill

Google has warned the government it must not engage in "futurology" when putting together the first draft of the new Communications Act as it could risk harming firms' ability to innovate in the online world.

The web giant's submission to the call for responses on the new legislation argued the speed of new technological developments, such as 4G mobile networks, means the government must not try to predict future uses of technology.

"Although it is tempting for government to seek to develop legislation that anticipates and copes with future technology developments this should be avoided," it said in its response.

"Legislation that seeks to predict the future risks shaping that development in unnatural directions and creating a market that is ultimately unsustainable."

Instead, it said the government should create an open-ended, non-perspective law that could be adapted as and when necessary.

"We believe it is better to create de minimus [moderate] legislation that can be built on by non-legislative interventions that can respond rapidly to technical and consumer change," it added.

Google also said that while the government may find it "appealing" to create laws that enable it to block or filter content this should also be avoided, citing examples relating to the protection of children online to illustrate why it's an unworkable system.

"The evolution of content online makes such laws quickly irrelevant and perhaps even dangerous, with parents wrongly believing children are protected and therefore absolving their own responsibilities to monitor and advise children on using the internet safely," it said.

"A situation can also arise where governments who peruse these tools quickly fall down a slippery slope, adding more and more types of content to the 'banned' list," it said.