Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has warned the leaders of the world’s eight richest nations not to interfere in the web with fresh regulation, pointing out that the sector had flourished precisely because of a lack of regulation.

Instead Zuckerberg took to the stage in order to call for increased investment in high speed connections.

Tensions have emerged within the G8 after Sarkozy hosted an e-G8 summit to look at ways of introducing tighter restrictions on the dissemination of private information and protection of intellectual property.

Zuckerberg told the conference: “You can’t isolate some things you like about the internet, and control other things you don’t”.

He was joined by Google chief Eric Schmidt who argued against “…premature regulation ahead of innovation.”