Regulating Architecture and Architectures of Regulation: Contributions from Information Systems

Lawrence Lessig's argument that 'code is law' runs the risk of reifying the notion of code. This paper balances Lessig's view about the plasticity of technology with experiences from information systems. By considering two diverse cases: peer-to-peer file sharing software and the cryptographic interface in Microsoft products, the paper presents a revised understanding of the relationship between technology and regulation.