Editing Tragedy of the commons (section)

==== Digital divide and solutions ====
Scholars disagree on the particularities underlying the tragedy of the digital commons; however, there does seem to be some agreement on the cause and the solution.<ref name="Nagle 2018"/> The cause of the tragedy of the commons occurring in the digital environment is attributed by some scholars to the digital divide.<ref name="Nagle 2018"/> They argue that there is too large a focus on bridging this divide and providing unrestricted access to everyone. Such a focus on increasing access without the necessary restrictions causes the exploitation of digital resources for individual self-interest that is underlying any tragedy of the commons.<ref name="Greco-2004" /><ref name="Springer-2009" />

In terms of the solution, scholars agree that cooperation rather than regulation is the best way to mitigate a tragedy of the digital commons.<ref name="Nagle 2018"/> The digital world is not a closed system in which a central authority can regulate the users, as such some scholars argue that voluntary cooperation must be fostered.<ref name="Springer-2009" /> This could perhaps be done through [[digital governance]] structure that motivates multiple stakeholders to engage and collaborate in the decision-making process.<ref name="Almeida-2020" /> Other scholars argue more in favor of formal or informal sets of rules, like a code of conduct, to promote ethical behaviour in the digital environment and foster trust.<ref name="Greco-2004" /><ref>{{Citation|last1=Curien |first1=Nicolas |last2=Fauchart |first2=Emmanuelle |last3=Laffond |first3=Gilbert |last4=Moreau |first4=François |editor1-last=Brousseau |editor1-first=Eric |editor2-last=Curien |editor2-first=Nicolas |title=Online consumer communities: escaping the tragedy of the digital commons |date=2007|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/CBO9780511493201A017/type/book_part|work=Internet and Digital Economics|pages=201–219|place=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/cbo9780511493201.006 |isbn=978-0-511-49320-1|access-date=2020-12-23}}</ref> Alternative to managing relations between people, some scholars argue that it is access itself that needs to be properly managed, which includes expansion of network capacity.<ref name="Gupta-1997" />