The increasing prevalence of "right to be forgotten" cases leading to content removal on the internet have analysts worried that the digital space is becoming increasingly fragmented, The Economist reports. "Fragmentation caused by government action would be less of a concern if other factors were not also pushing in the same direction," the report states. "One of the founding principles of the internet — that any device on the network should be able to communicate with any other — is being eroded by new technologies, such as firewalls and a separate 'dark web,' which is only accessible using a special browser." Commercial positions increase the divide. "If nothing is done the open internet could, in a decade or two, be a thing of the past," the report adds. (Registration may be required to access this story.)
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