INTERNET CENSORSHIP
Internet censorship is on the rise in the world today. The freedom to simply send e-mails or watch the latest news on the internet, may soon be controlled by our governments. Millions of people around the world are in a bitter debate on whether internet censorship is right or wrong? Of course it's wrong. No government has the right to exercise control over the internet. Initially, the internet was made to provide a platform where researchers could exchange raw data (Science Daily), but this was no longer the case after it was commercialized in May 1995.
According to Walt Howe, after the internet became available to the public, the accessibility and free-flow of information and ideas, has grown rapidly around the world. Sanja Kelly notes this too. She adds that as the number of internet users increases, “Governments around the world increasingly are establishing mechanisms to block what they deem to be undesirable information. ...the restrictions apply to content involving illegal gambling, child pornography, copyright infringement or the incitement of hatred or violence”.
From a reasonable point of view, censorship is used by governments around the world to prevent the spread of information that could incite violence, true. But, censorship is used as a form of dictatorship too. A proper illustration of dictatorship as a result of internet censorship, is the current situation in China. The Atlantic reports that the Chinese government employed at least 50,000 internet police, who review and censor information before it's uploaded to the internet (Toyama). The Chinese government has full control over the internet in China. In fact, according to one author, China made a firewall called China's Golden Shield, ...
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...at the internet remains free of government control.
Works Cited.
Howe, Walt. “A Brief History Of The Internet”. walthowe.com N.p.13 Sep. 2012. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
Kelly, Sanja and Sarah Cook. “Internet freedom declining as use grows”. sfgate.com. Hearst Communications, 17 Apr. 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
Roberts, Paul. “Google: Government surveillance of the internet is on the rise”. nakedsecurity.sophos.com. Sophos Ltd, 14 Nov. 2012. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
Tate,Julie. “Judge sentences Bradley Manning to 35 years.” washingtonpost.com. Fashion Washington, 21 Aug. 2013.Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
University Of Illinois At Chicago. “Reclaiming The Internet's Original Purpose”.sciencedaily.com. Science Daily, 8 Sep. 2000. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
Walton, Greg. “China's Golden Shield: Corporations and the Development of Surveillance”. books.google.com. N.p., 2001. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
Edward Snowden is America’s most recent controversial figure. People can’t decide if he is their hero or traitor. Nevertheless, his leaks on the U.S. government surveillance program, PRISM, demand an explanation. Many American citizens have been enraged by the thought of the government tracing their telecommunication systems. According to factbrowser.com 54% of internet users would rather have more online privacy, even at the risk of security (Facts Tagged with Privacy). They say it is an infringement on their privacy rights of the constitution. However, some of them don’t mind; they believe it will help thwart the acts of terrorists. Both sides make a good point, but the inevitable future is one where the government is adapting as technology is changing. In order for us to continue living in the new digital decade, we must accept the government’s ability to surveil us.
When we look at the internet censorship we can see that it affects modern day politics a lot. The internet is a tool which can destroy an oppressive regime. Now I consider the three countries I am going to talk about have oppressive regimes. If we are to list them from most to least it would be, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, People’s Republic of China and Republic of Turkey. If we look at the governing regimes in these countries we can see that North Korea is governed by communism, where China is go...
"Internet Censorship." What does this mean to us? What is restricted? Censorship is summarily defined as the suppression of objectionable material. That means that material such as pornography, militant information, offensive language, anti-religion, and racism would be restricted in use. Freedom would not only be restricted to material placed on the web, but also what you could access, and where you could explore. Should the right of Freedom of Speech be taken away from us on the Internet? Having stated this, should there be any restrictions and if so, what's the limit of censorship?
Internet is a powerful tool that allows users to collaborate and interact with others all over the world conveniently and relatively safely. It has allowed education and trade to be accessed easily and quickly, but all these benefits do not come without very taxing costs. This is especially true when dealing with the likes of the Internet. Countries in the European Union and Asia have realized this and have taken action against the threat of net neutrality to protect their citizens, even at the cost of online privacy. Internet censorship is required to protect us from our opinions and vices. Every country should adopt Internet censorship and regulation since it improves society by reducing pornography, racism/prejudice, and online identity theft.
Part of the allure of the Internet has always been the anonymity it offers its users. As the Internet has grown however, causing capitalists and governments to enter the picture, the old rules are changing fast. E-commerce firms employ the latest technologies to track minute details on customer behavior. The FBI's Carnivore email-tracking system is being increasingly used to infringe on the privacy of netizens. Corporations now monitor their employees' web and email usage. In addition to these privacy infringements, Internet users are also having their use censored, as governments, corporations, and other institutions block access to certain sites. However, as technology can be used to wage war on personal freedoms, it can also be employed in the fight against censorship and invasion of privacy.
Taylor, James Stacey. "In Praise of Big Brother: Why We Should Learn to Stop Worrying and Love Government Surveillance." Public Affairs Quarterly July 2005: 227-246.
With an entity as vast as the Internet, it is not surprising that a variety of unanswered questions will arise. I’m positive that the Internet will continue to confound scholars as it continues to quickly evolve. By analyzing the views of the celebrants and skeptics, I have been able to understand the potential that the internet has. By using the PEC, I have been able to understand how democracy and capitalism relate to the issues of the Internet. In the future, I hope that society can develop a further understanding of the Internet and move toward the Internet that the celebrants had hoped for.
The world erupted in outrage following revelations by Edward Snowden regarding the extent of surveillance perform by the National Security Agency. Privacy becomes one of the hottest topic of 2013 and was chosen by the world’s most popular online dictionary, Dictionary.com, as the Word of the Year. However, the government is not the only one that conduct data gathering and surveillance. Employers often monitor their employees, and businesses collect data on theirs customer. The morality of these practices is a topic that generates heated debate.
Here are some final thoughts to help one formulate their own opinions Censorship is the best justified method to make sure everyone 's rights. In a society which is made up by variety of people, there must be some law that everyone follows to make the society in order. Justification means everyone is treated the same; anyone who obeys the law will have their rights equally; anyone who offends the law will be punished or circumscribed. Justification doesn 't mean that, as someone thinks, everyone can do whatever you want to do because that will make the society happens to be in
However, government agencies, especially in America, continue to lobby for increased surveillance capabilities, particularly as technologies change and move in the direction of social media. Communications surveillance has extended to Internet and digital communications. law enforcement agencies, like the NSA, have required internet providers and telecommunications companies to monitor users’ traffic. Many of these activities are performed under ambiguous legal basis and remain unknown to the general public, although the media’s recent preoccupation with these surveillance and privacy issues is a setting a trending agenda.
The internet has been one of the most influential technological advancements of the twenty-first century. It is in millions of homes, schools, and workplaces. The internet offers not only a way of communicating with people around the world, but also a link to information, shopping, chatting, searching, and maps. This freedom to be anyone and to "go" anywhere right from the comfort of home has become a cherished item. However, there is always a down side to every up. Because of the freedom to post anything and access anything on the internet, the issue of regulation has arisen; for example, what should and should not be allowed on the internet? Who has the right to regulate this space that we cherish for its freedom?
The history of the internet shows that the internet is not a new medium. The internet was initially created in the 1960's to as a way for the United States to stay connected in case of a nuclear fallout due to the possible consequences of the Cold War. F...
Most of the Internet regulation is imposed by the Government in an effort to protect the best interest of the general public and is concerned with some form of censorship.
Gale, Michael J., 1993. Web. The Web. The Web. 11 Mar. 2011. The. Morgan, Susan.
Boepple, Paul. "Internet." The New Book of Knowledge. 34th ed. 20 vols. Chicago: Grolier Inc., 2000.