Heavy Internet Censorship

The world is full of millions of people who simply surf the web at their own will, checking their e-mail or even going on social networking sites. In Australia, however, this Internet freedom that we used to exercise is rapidly going down the drain. Ever since September 2013, the Abbott Government has enforced their policy on Internet censorship and since then, it has become a government-regulated activity. Internet Censorship is too pervasive – it invades privacy, problems are created abroad – after all, the Internet was made to be freely accessible by all and it should continue to be like that.

For this project, I will be comparing and contrasting the online censorship practices of Canada and Iran. To think of the two countries simply; Canada has a free market for online communication while Iran has one full of restrictions. From my research, I have found that the Canadian government encourages the free flow of online communication and as a result has very little modes of censorship. For example, Canada aims “to provide quality and accessible communications services…a target to provide 100 percent of Canadian households with access to internet connectivity and broadband speeds of at least 5 Mbps by the end of 2016” (“Canada”). This only proves that Canada is focused on empowering their people’s rights with the ease and capability of browsing the internet.

As Canadians, we live in a country of democracy and freedom, which provide equal opportunities for all citizens to share their thoughts. Unlike Canadians who are able to influence the direction of political value, Syrians are under Internet censorship and surveillance by their own country. Censorship caused the local government to filters online content block many websites, limiting citizens’ accessibility to create user generated content. Furthermore, Internet access was only given to a privileged minority. In the year of 2011, the first wave of protests - the Arab Spring, spread across the Middle East. As the civil war rages, death toll raised to 250,000, nearly half of them civilians. Also, a large number of people fled their homes, seeking

Imagine a place where you have access to anything and everything one could want. Some would say that is only existent in a utopia, and some would say that describes the Internet. Many adults go on to the net and access pornographic material that would be unsuitable for children. This is called cyberporn. The controversy lies in the fact that children are accessing these materials also. Government, activist groups, and concerned parents are fighting to regulate obscene material found over the Internet to protect children. The first amendment is the only thing protecting adults from losing their rights to obtain pornographic or indecent material on the net. Under the first amendment the government must not regulate cyberporn. Online sex

The word censor comes from the Latin term censere which means to appraise, value, judge ("Online Etymology Dictionary”). According to Wikipedia and Dictionary.com censorship is defined as a practice of filtering the media and suppressing the unwanted parts.

The internet is a place where people from all over the world can connect with others who have similar interests as well as share information on almost any topic. While the internet has brought us closer together as a global society some people believe that what is on the internet should be censored. While the content of the internet should have to comply with the laws of the country it is being accessed in I do not believe that there should be any further restrictions as to what viewed on the internet.

Parents are too busy to pay any attention to their children and protect them from improper images. The author Aric Sigman states, "The main obstacle is a generation of parents afraid of confrontation and being authoritarian or too busy surfing themselves" (what we need...). What is important here is that parents are not taking the time of responsibility to be strict on what their kids watch or hear. Other cases parents are to caught up dealing with their own struggles they lack the everyday task of parenting when it comes to technology. Adult material is too accessible to viewer on the internet, that's why we need censorship.

The Worstall article discusses the strategy to end censorship of the internet in two ways. The first is to switch the Chinese search engine and then redirect users to a mirrored version (Worstall, 2015). Google’s settings are precise and competitive with numerous search engines such as Ask.com, Bing, Yahoo, to name a few. To bring down the China firewalls, Google has the capability to do so without interference from Chinese authorities, however, this is a big gamble for Google. Services such as Gmail have been difficult to access in the past, nevertheless, Google is used globally and “blocking the company entirely would have immediate and disastrous economic consequences” (Smith, 2013).

Should the government be allowed to go through anyones phone at any time? A main issue in the debate of privacy vs. security is internet censorship. American citizens are currently debating whether the government should be allowed to go through peoples personal devices. Legally, according to the constitution, the government has the right to a search warrant. This means they have to have a legitimate reason for their search, and the court must grant them a warrant. According to the Supreme Court it is against the law for the government to intrude; they cannot show up to houses unannounced (CNN.com). On the other side it is a great resource for the government to have control because it makes life safer. There is not enough police officers to catch all criminals. For example, cameras, the government has set up light cameras to catch drivers from running red lights.(Ron Fridell 24-25) The controversy of privacy of personal devices is crucial because people are debating on if the government should see citizens personal information. While some people believe that censorship is necessary and should be allowed, others believe censorship violates American rights.

Once again, it would be common sense to allow someone their first amendment and privacy rights. Without these rights, the people would never be able to truly express their ideas to the public. If the government censored the internet, people would not be able to publish what they wanted to because of the internet regulation. Instead of thinking creatively and coming up with new ideas, people would have to follow regulations. This could be a danger to society because it would hinder the people from succeeding, evolving, and gaining more information. This is why people should be allowed to think freely without the federal government censoring and regulating the internet (Redwin 3). This country started on the foundation and basis of freedom so it should be kept that

Like any other form of media the Internet can be censored, which means that full access to materials on the Internet can be restricted. To the general public, this is not considered a good thing, since it restricts their access to knowledge. One of the hallmarks of a repressive government is the restriction of information to keep its citizens under control. Yet, at the same time the unrestricted power of the Internet can cause much social and political harm, which is why there are many who support the idea of Internet Censorship. At the same time this restriction dulls a community, diversity and growth of ideas come from the unrestricted flow of information. An isolated community generally does not synthesize new ideas on its own.Thus,

Internet censorship is the control or suppression of the publishing or accessing of information on the Internet. This can include blocking entire websites, blocking parts of certain websites, prohibiting certain search engine keywords, monitoring individual internet use, and punishing individuals for this use. On a smaller scale, companies censor access to certain websites to increase productivity in workers or decrease chances of a sexual harassment lawsuit. Parents may block certain website on their family computers in an attempt to maintain their child’s innocence. On a much larger scale, entire governments can censor or track the Internet use of its constituents.

Since the primordial era of man’s inception, there has been an inherent ambition that pushes humans to learn and grow exponentially. The most potent way of facilitating this kind of growth has been discovered through the advent of literature, allowing for a steady record of history and an abundant source of information concerning all aspects of humanity’s existence. Many challenges come with this level of power that the written word provides: several people throughout history have suffered ravenous pandemics like the Black Plague, bore all-consuming poverty, and have been scathed if not killed by the brutality of war. These maladies coupled with destructive events like book burnings and mass censorship have done a significant amount to hamper

The freedom of speech that was possible on the Internet could now be subjected to governmental approvals. For example, China is attempting to restrict political expression, in the name of security and social stability. It requires users of the Internet and electronic mail (e-mail) to register, so that it may monitor their activities. In the United Kingdom, state secrets and personal attacks are off limits on the Internet. Laws are strict and the government is extremely interested in regulating the Intern et with respect to these issues.10 Laws intended for other types of communication will not necessarily apply in this medium.

Some people wonder who came up with the idea of internet censorship. Other people want to know which countries use it. Some ponder over the idea of what really is internet censorship. Internet censorship is controlling what can be viewed, and which sites can be used on the internet. Some things about internet censorship are countries that use it, and who started the idea of it.