Internet has extremely transformed the way companies do their businesses across the world in the modern times. Today, businesses can practically market their products and services to the entire target markets, locally and internationally, by the use of internet. The availability and effectiveness of internet marketing tools such as e-mails encrypted websites offer viable grounds for the global expansion of companies and other business entities (Costigan & Perry 2012). Nevertheless, several internet policies formulated by different countries to regulate and control flow of information devastatingly affect company’s ability to expand globally. The policies provide comprehensive guidelines that altogether slow down the rate at which the company do their businesses, send information and market their products and services to international clients.
The U.S. CAN-SPAM e-mail Act is an example of internet policies. It controls how the businesses and company can lawfully send their advertisement and marketing e-mail messages to potential clients by giving them a provision for opting out at their own discretion in the future times. Deliberate or accidental violation of this law can attract heavy fines, public blacklisting, and other severe forms of penalties to the companies. Such incidences are liable to damage the reputation of these companies among the international customers and partners.
China, for instance, is also known for its culture of blocking all the government unapproved websites from the general public regardless of their popularity and sources. Some of the websites China is reported to have blocked include the American Los Angeles Times. Additionally, the country enforces several other stringent measures and guidelines to curtail the legality of internet marketing strategies of the international companies. Bangladesh, Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia still ban facebook (online social site) which provides an ideal platform for the international companies to market their products. Such restrictions block international companies from reaching their target markets thus limiting their expansion globally
In conclusion, the internet policies adopted by different countries such as United States, China and Middle East countries greatly affect companies’ ability to expand globally.