The new information and communications technologies, particularly networks, are in the process of profoundly changing the way man’s life is organised both in space and time. The substantial impact of this "digital revolution" encompasses all human activities: the organisation of civic life, the organisation of work, leisure and culture, access to medical care, individual and collective freedoms, and so on. For the first time, parliament is embarking on a far-reaching consideration of all these aspects, including the technical features that are essential to make them accessible to the greatest possible number of people, quite apart from the social consequences. The aim of this report is to inform members of parliament and, beyond them, the public, about a development that will require adaptations to the law and regulations; this is one of the tasks incumbent upon the Parliamentary Office for the evaluation of scientific and technological choices.