A Case study on the role of Internet Intermediates in Internet Freedom of Expression

Most who argue against censorship believe that it goes against a person’s right to freedom of speech. Within this argument, most people wonder “just when, and on what grounds, the state is justified in using its coercive powers to limit the freedom of individuals” (West). When thinking in this mindset, individuals tend to antagonize the government, because they come to believe that it suppresses their individuality and fail to consider the fact that it unites people who share its similar beliefs. As a result of the recent spike in technology and use of the Internet, the public must continually alter its definition of freedom of speech and expression. As the media offers more and more methods of communication, many of which are relatively self-regulated by users, more methods of expression develop, which may render other forms of expression obsolete, or even socially unacceptable (Qazi). Without understanding how much freedom of speech one is entitled to, one may never hope to defend that freedom if it ever comes under attack. Because technology develops so quickly that one definition will hardly suffice for a short period of time, people will find it increasingly difficult to understand how much right to expression they are allowed and will therefore fight for any and all that they may attain, never considering the benefits of censorship in the slightest. In America especially, people idealize the idea of democracy, the investigation of truth, and independence (Fieser). In

In today’s world, Privacy and Security comes hand in hand with internet. Technology allows us free speech and freedom of information over the internet, by imposing strict laws and policies regulating the privacy and security of our information. According to Richard Clarke, free expression over the internet and its privacy are two sides of the same coin (Privacy and security(n.d.)). Writing blogs, uploading posts, comments or pictures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, networking or sharing links on Linkedin are all considered as our free expression and its security is our right. Individual right to

As the internet age blossoms in the twenty-first century, news and information is becoming available to anyone at anytime with just the click of a button. Almost all preceding forms of media can be found in this one, worldwide medium. Newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and more are all being transferred to the internet to allow for more readers, viewers, or listeners. This new level of access brings the question: How much involvement should the government have in this distribution of media? In the United States, many people value this freedom of information above all else, however, in other nations around the world, citizens are not allowed this liberty. For example, the governments of China and Iran continue to censor media

  Abstract:  The issue of free speech has been around since the founding fathers first ratified the constitution of the United States.  With the emergence of new technology, especially the Internet, freedom of speech has been redefined and its limits tested.  What are the limitations of free speech on the Internet, and how can they be enforced?  These are the constitutional questions for the digital age.

As the digital age is rapidly growing, freedom of speech and information policy is beginning to play a significant and complicated role in our society. Jack Balkin states, “knowledge and information policy is at the heart of government today” (Balkin,2013, p.104). Our government was built on knowledge and an information policy. It is important that citizens are have access to various services and benefits. When it comes to freedom of speech and information policy, it is important to understand the positions both the government and social medias plays. As times are changing, we are beginning to see the controversial debate on free speech and whether or not our government and social media platforms are slowly

The communications and media landscape is experiencing a profound and fast transformation. There is a possibility of describing the evolution and development of new technologies as enterprising and open. The internet comprises of the considered technological developments, which is the latest outlet that a considerable number of people in the world can access and use to communicate (Maras 3). Just as other technologies before it, the internet has the power to transform the manner in which people realize the freedom to express themselves. Any person that can access the internet can create, share or edit their individual information or other people’s content. The flare-up of digital communication, especially through the social media allows citizens to participate in public debates on a level unparalleled historically.

Lastly, the plan contains a plethora of new regulations that will dampen investment and innovation for a faster, newer broadband networks and infrastructures. This will, in turn, slow down internet speed (Kerpen 2). However, the internet as a public utility will keep current internet providers from slowing or blocking internet traffic and will help maintain a free, open internet that respects the First Amendment, the freedom of speech. (Bedard 1 - 2 )

The government controls much of what we can and can’t do, and also how and when we do it. For instance “taxes”, we all have to pay a certain amount to the government on a specific day where the IRS and their officials can determine how much we have to pay. The state control our cars through smog checks and how fast we can drive on the roads through tickets and fines. When the government has all of this control over us, should we give them more power? A power to control what is allowed to be posted or entered into one of the greatest informational tools in the history of mankind? The answer is simply no; they should not be allowed that power. In the wise words of Benjamin Franklin “those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one” If we give the government the power to censor the internet, we have lost the right for freedom of speech, expression, and other ability’s that we will lose having big brother hold our hand as we navigate through the massive index that is know as the internet.

The internet has presented a huge challenge for the freedom of speech law and the courts acting around it. Online platforms allow too much opportunity for false information to be spread rapidly and globally, with little time taken to review what is being said or to consider the negative effects. People who have failed to get items published or approved can simply post it online and suffer few consequences if the information is incorrect (Warburton 84). Incorrect or dangerous information can be easily spread discreetly and nearly anonymously, so what does that mean for freedom of speech? (Warburton 84). If the entire goal of freedom of speech is to allow people to say whatever they like without censorship or repercussions, the Internet is certainly the place to do it. However, the internet is not without its restrictions. One may say anything they like, but in the United States, those things can be

The Internet distributes more information than any other medium in the world. There are several problems that have emerged along with the Internet, “As soon as the public began to use the Internet, people began to express concern about its use” (Clark 1). Some groups feel that the World Wide Web is dangerous because of it’s open accessibility, whereas other groups see that the Internet is something that can be used to share knowledge globally. The Internet should not be censored because censorship would restrict Americans’ first amendment rights; regulations have been tried and have failed in the past, and there are better methods of education and protection than censorship.

(Hentoff 12) The largest controversy that surrounds censoring the Internet is what information should be considered “offensive”. The Internet can be viewed in many different ways. It can be considered a carrier of common data, similar to a phone company, which must ignore what is broadcast for privacy reasons. Or, it can be considered a distributor and broadcaster of information, much like a television or radio station, which is responsible for what it broadcasts and has to conform to federal standards and regulations. This argument is the main concern of the censorship matter. “The Internet is a carrier of information, and not a broadcaster, since it only provides the basic structure for information transfer and sharing. (“Cyberchaos”) But this angers lawmakers. The current laws existing today do not apply well to the Internet. The Internet cannot be viewed as one type of transfer medium under current broadcast definitions (“Muzzling the Internet”). One large difference that sets the Internet apart from a broadcasting media is the fact that one can’t stumble across a vulgar or obscene site without first entering an address or following a link from another page. There are exceptions, of course, but for the most part, if one wants to find “dirty” material on the Internet, they have to go out and look for it. “The Internet is much more like going into a bookstore and

Presently, it seems that the Internet is playing a very important role in everyone's daily life. This multipurpose network has many different functions useful for everyday work and entertainment. Due to the freedom of the Internet various debates and protests have come to disagree with its open form of communication. Because of the misuse of the internet many people believe that there should be some kind of internet censorship, while others are against internet censorship stating that "it is both unnecessary impossible to implement and that because of its nature the internet should be afforded the same freedom and protection as the print media" (Bradsher 2).

The increase in technological advancements has changed the way people communicate. The introduction of the internet has changed the world to a global parish where individuals can communicate instantly regardless of their geographical location. The internet and technology seem to affect every aspect of life of people including doing business, learning, and marketing among others. It is also notable that the internet has provided platform on which people can interact freely and express their opinions on different issues within the society. The internet has been considered as a tool that people use in promoting their freedom of expression. However, there have been questions on the extent to which people can exercise their freedom of speech

Internet censorship has been a growing issue in America. Many bills like The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) are trying to be passed that are trying to control the internet. If the internet is censored and controlled by the government we will be losing our freedom of speech across the world-wide web. This is huge issue in other countries where people are jailed and prosecuted for thoughts and opinions published on the web. If nothing is done to stop internet censorship in America, this could be a reality for us as well.

The internet is a powerful medium for news, books, information, and ideas. It has become a brand-new field for conflict about media freedom and censorship. For example, the Pakistan Government "recently published a public tender for the development deployment and operation of a national-level URL filtering and blocking system" (Sutton 1). As a result,