The Censorship Of Internet Censorship

In a world of ever evolving technology, it has become increasingly difficult for many leaders to censor and control the flow of information. The development of the Internet throughout the nineties has created a cosmopolitan world in which people from across the earth can communicate and share ideas and information. The development of Internet technology and social media web platforms have led to an increased desire for democracy in many areas of the world; however, some nations have worked to curtail the freedom of information flow by developing complex Internet censorship programs. While Internet censorship is a highly relevant topic in today’s society, it is mainly viewed as a problem in non-democratic countries. While at there is merit to this viewpoint, censorship is a much more universal obstacle than most people realize.

Censorship has been used since the beginning of man’s history and is still prevalent in today’s modern world. First it is important to have an agreed upon definition of what censorship is. To give a basic definition of what censorship is: the control of the information and ideas circulated within a society. Many believe and argue that censorship is a violation of human rights which include freedom of express and speech. Those that argue this viewpoint also believe it is a government’s job to ensure the safety of their citizens the best way possible, which really contradicts with the concept and purpose of censorship. The best way to handle the situation of censorship during a time of war, in the United States, is to have the government release an outline to what is considered appropriate to be published to the public. Also have a committee overview the work of journalist reviewed before it is released and have the journalist sign an agreement to not break the code they must use to decide what information they can publish. The best way to handle the situation of internet censorship, in the United States, is to take a hands off approach and allow the internet to be freely accessed with no restraints by all those who choose to use it at their own risk.

A multitude of countries and organizations use censorship for various reasons. However something they all have in common is the one providing the censored material does not want the reader or viewer to know something, whether that be the true state of a country or the real history of a matter. Censorship is a constant tug-a-war between two sides for the truth over a subject. This form of restriction can be observed from the early 1900’s to today’s modern times, and can also be seen worldwide in countries that have little to nothing in common.

Even with the best intentions of censoring the internet to remove inappropriate topics, the educational site will be blocked alike. For instance, if a person is trying to read information on a controversial topic, such as sexuality, drug use, or sources containing profanity, they may not be able to access the needed resources. Without these online resources, people will not have the resources to self-educate themselves on a given topic (Poland). The American Civil Liberties Union launched the “Don’t Filter Me” campaign after obtaining many reports from students who reported being “blocked from accessing websites about college scholarships for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender teenagers; anti-bullying resources; and activities for student-led gay-straight alliances” (Block). After the campaign reports were filled that schools were blocking LGBT-supportive websites. However, students could access websites that condemned homosexuality (Block). This filtering is sending students the wrong message. It is sending a message that being gay, bisexual, or transgender is wrong and should be hidden. By censoring many sites, schools are limiting students’ options to get help if need be. Students will not be able to visit anti-bullying sites, suicide hotlines, or religious organizations that are online to offer help (Block). Also, if a student is writing a research paper and is looking up information online, they

The most common censorship method used by the Chinese government is IP blocking. This means that when a user requests certain IP addresses, access is immediately denied. A Harvard study, discovered that more than 18,000 sites are blocked; many of them top websites in the United States. A government sponsored news organization states that only “superstitious, pornographic, violence-related, gambling, and other harmful information” are blocked but critics have been quick to point out that many sites that do not fall into these categories are also blocked. Another Harvard study found that 13% of social media posts were blocked. These were posts by political activists that promoted or could conceivably incite collective action (such as riots or protests). Popular American social media sites like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook have been completely blocked, as have news organizations such as the New York Times. These websites have been recreated for the Chinese internet with censorship restrictions put into place.

Censorship is a controversial topic argued about on an everyday basis. Censorship is all about perspective, one side argues that some materials should be censored while the other side argues it should not be censored. Censorship has subtypes of itself meaning it is separated into categories. The three categories are Moral Censorship, Political Censorship, and Book Censorship. Moral Censorship is the removal of materials that are thought to be obscene, to better the public view. Political Censorship is when the government partakes in blocking information from their citizens. Lastly, Book Censorship is banning novels by the nation or state, in some cases a school, if a community finds it to be inappropriate for the public to see. All 3 of these categories affect a country or nation and their citizens. Censorship can affect the internet, music, and films as well (The Spectator 1).

When discussing internet censorship, one of the major concerns is what children can see on the internet. Internet censorship was a huge deal during the 1990’s and early 2000’s and it still is to this very day. The internet back then was much different than it is today. Back then, we could only access the internet from a computer and most people didn’t own one back then. Nowadays, most people have multiple computers and a cell phone that can access the internet. It was easier for parents to control what their children could have access to back then. Now, parents can still put restrictions on the router settings and set a timer for when the internet shuts off but kids can always just go somewhere else that may have internet access to view any

Due to the direction censorship is heading in things are getting worse. There are many ways to bypass them. Everyone doesn't think information should be available to everyone. Everyone who wants to censor the internet wants everyone’s information to be accessible. Governments have the power to oppress their

Many people have no idea what censorship is it is the suppression of words, images, or ideas the are deemed offensive (Source 7 #47). This can be either the tv shows someone watches or the posters hanging up around a school. Most censorship in the last ten years have been by the government, but there are many forms of censorship which include self-censorship, stealth censorship, and religious censorship. All of these forms of censorship happen on a daily basis and most censorship goes undetected. Although there are many forms of censorship which include book banning, visual art censorship, and social media censorship.

Although it may seem like censorship is only used for bad reasons, there are good reasons too. Censorship can protect children from websites that could be dangerous

With how vast and expansive the internet is today, online censorship is a huge debate that will always be ongoing. There are mainly two sides of this debate. One side says that online censorship is needed no matter what, and the other side says that the internet is free and that the internet can never be controlled by the on company or even the government. While both sides have a great point, there is still a side to take.

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.

There are lots of countries that use internet censorship. A few of them are China, North Korea, and Russia. China is one of the leaders in using and censoring the internet. They have the biggest internet censorship system on the globe. Their system grew rapidly compared to most of the other countries censorship systems.

Internet censorship is developing far and wide and influences us, regardless that as United States citizens, we have additional technological opportunities than what many other nations do. Numerous Americans underestimate the opportunities that living in the United States permits us. Whether we are sending electronic mail, posting on our social media pages, or seeking out the latest news, we are ensured the opportunity of self-expression and an inexhaustible amount of information right at our fingertips. Censorship takes control of people's expression, and many countries, governments, and leaders support it for this reason. Internet Censorship in the United States in comparison to different nations brings to light the global and ethical issue regarding the basic human rights of education, communication, and freedom.

This paper addresses whether we should censor or block access to websites with controversial material. It looks at the issue from several sides: The relevant US laws that are in place, how censorship is used at the university and corporate levels, how other countries are attempting censorship, and finally what I feel about the topic.