Until now, we have been discussing "ex poste" solutions to the problem of inducing software engineers to take proper care in developing their products. In other words, these remedies occur after the damage or accident has already occured. An alternative would be to impose an ex ante law upon software engineers that would aim to minimize the number of accidents. This alternative is government regulation of the computer industry.
The government could try to impose regulations on the software industry. A government regulation agency could be created. They would create and enforce rules pertaining to minimun skill levels for programmers, minimum safety features, etc. In this way, the government could play an active role in trying to prevent unreliable software from being on the market. In fact, they could force software to undergo agency testing before release (much like the Food and Drug Administration).
These are extreme but plausible suggestions, especially if the software involved is safety critical. Government regulation would inevitably raise the cost of software. Furthermore, it would slow the growth of software innovations. If government regulation is to be imposed, it should be limited to software whose failure might endanger lives or cause serious damage.