TECHNOLOGY REGULATION IN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONTEXTS: NORMATIVE FRAMEWORKS AND EMERGING TRENDS

Abstract

Digital technology's explosive growth has changed social interactions, governance frameworks, and economic systems while also revealing normative ambiguities and regulatory gaps at the national and global levels. The regulatory frameworks controlling technology are critically examined in this paper, with an emphasis on the changing interactions between national legal systems and global governance mechanisms. It investigates how governments, regional organisations, and international organisations address issues brought about by cutting-edge technology like cybersecurity tools, digital platforms, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and transnational data flows. The quantitative research methodology was adopted for this paper. Specifically, the paper used the doctrinal research design which focuses on the provisions of the law instead of its application. Data collected was analysed through the analytical approach. The study examined the degree to which current normative frameworks are sufficient to protect fundamental rights, guarantee accountability, foster innovation, and uphold global equity in the digital ecosystem, and policy review. Additionally, this study discovered that the regulation of technology plays a crucial role in enhancing responsible innovation, safeguarding the interests of the people and ensuring sustainable growth in an increasingly digitalised and globalised world. The paper concluded that there is an increasingly interconnected digital world, consistent, harmonised, and forward-looking regulatory regimes which is crucial for bridging the gap between technical innovation and normative protection.