Global Internet Censorship - 2367 Words

What aspects of the internet make global censorship difficult? Why might a government be inclined to impose internet censorship on its citizens? Is global internet censorship moral? Internet Censorship has been a topic of much debate and growing concern in the past decade. According to the OpenNet Initiative, the number of countries seeking to control access of content on the internet has been rising rapidly (Documenting Internet Content Filtering Worldwide n.d). Reporters Without Borders published a list of thirteen countries as ‘internet enemies’ in 2006. The list consisted of Belarus, Burma, China, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam (List of the 13 Internet Enemies in†¦show more content†¦The second reason of protecting children would include keeping adult content from children and keeping the children safe from paedophiles. National security is the other main reason why a country would be forced to impose internet censorship. The political sentiments of a country are likely to be kept a secret by the government. On the other hand we do have countries like China whose suppression of important information has led to not only national but international problems. ‘The SARS crisis in 2004, and the contamination of the Songhua River in 2006, which affected millions of lives in China and Russia, serve as particularly deadly examples’ (New HRIC Report Details State Secrets System 2007). Terrorism is another reason. The governments of most countries are keeping a strict watch out for any material posted on the internet linking to terrorism. ‘The National Institute of Justice defines computer crime as any illegal act for which knowledge of computer technology is used to commit the offence’ (Stamatellos 2007:11). On the fifth of July 2007, three â€Å"cyber-jihadis† who used the internet to urge Muslims to wage holy war on non-believers were jailed for between six-and-a-half and ten years in the first case of its kind on Britain (Gulf News, 2007:20). The governments also censor content to protect the political sentimen ts of the country. In Belarus, for example, ‘in March 2006, severalShow MoreRelated Global Look at Internet Censorship Essay2815 Words   |  12 PagesGlobal Look at Internet Censorship Introduction Many Americans take for granted the freedom that living in the United States allows us. As we go through our days, we whine about our bosses, the governor’s latest political agenda, or read commentary about how the war in Iraq is morally wrong. Whether we are sending e-mail, posting on message boards, or reading the news online, we are guaranteed the same freedom of self expression that we enjoy offline. In other countries, the mere act ofRead MoreInternet Censorship And The Internet941 Words   |  4 Pages More than two decades ago, the Internet was yet to be ubiquitous in the homes of the general public around the world. Today, global users of the Internet has surpassed the 3 billion mark, or approximately 45% of the world population, a trend that is not likely to slow down anytime soon (World Internet Users Statistics and 2015 World Population Stats, 2014). The idealistic vision of self-governance of the Internet has proved to be insufficient and threats to the Internetà ¢â‚¬â„¢s core principles areRead MoreInternet Censorship And Its Effect On Society1053 Words   |  5 PagesInternet Censorship is Detrimental to Society The Internet was designed to enable and facilitate communications with connected systems at the local, state, national and international levels. The United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) launched a research campaign to find effective ways to link computers to help the exchange of information. In the 1990s, the Internet took off and entered a growth phase which caused an increase in communications worldwide. DARPA did notRead More We Dont Need Internet Censorship Essay1350 Words   |  6 PagesWe Dont Need Internet Censorship Censorship is an extremely controversial issue. There have been hundreds of thousands of essays written about whether or not censorship on the Internet is right or wrong, but so far, no precise conclusion has surfaced. Ive researched into the topic, but I havent completely sided with one or the other. There are just good reasons against censorship. This essay briefly discusses some reasons why the Internet should be censored, but will then mainly focusRead More Internet Censorship Essay1605 Words   |  7 PagesEveryone has heard of the Internet and how it is going to help set the world free. The Internet is the fastest growing form of communication and is becoming more and more common in the home. Companies these days do big business over the Internet, and online shopping has grown tremendously in the last few years. For instance, the online auction site eBay sells millions of items every year online. Many companies are making even more plans to expand their business to the I nternet. Unfortunately, there haveRead MoreOff the Leash: Censoring the Internet Essay1737 Words   |  7 Pagesyour Facebook today? How about your E-Mail? If not, you may be missing something even now! In today’s fast-paced world of instant information, if you aren’t on the internet, you’re almost certainly uninformed. Networks and the internet make up an alarmingly large part of our life. We get our news (both personal and public) via the internet, we talk to friends, shop for things, pay our bills†¦ but how vast is the monster that does all of this? This question, along with many others, is essential in theRead MoreGovernments Censoring Internet Content1490 Words   |  6 Pagespros and cons of government involvement in controlling the content of the Internet. Everyday technology is getting more sophisticated, meaning that nowadays it is easy to explore about a certain issue via online connection and be near the world. In the present, as long as you ha ve Internet connection, you have the ability to have access to all kind of information that is posted on Internet. There is a huge debate whether internet should be regulated or not, and this is excepted to continue in the upcomingRead MoreCensorship Filters The Media Within The World1574 Words   |  7 PagesDoes censorship filter the media within the world? Censorship has followed the free expressions of men and women like a shadow throughout history. Censorship is a way to filter the media in the world by suppressing unacceptable viewings or hearings by not showing, bleeping out, and covering the distasteful parts. In ancient societies, China for example, censorship was considered a logical tool for regulating the political and moral life of the population. The term censor can be traced to the officeRead MoreInternet Censorship and Government Regulation Essay1058 Words   |  5 PagesThese days the internet has become an essential part to living for almost everyone but one of the controversial topics that people bring up is that whether or not the government should regulate information on the internet. Both sides have valid points which form a reasonable argument. Some people would say that they need to because of the dangers lurking around in the cyber world but the reasons for why the government shouldn’t regulate the Internet outnumber the reasons for why they should. TheRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Internet Censorship1042 Words   |  5 PagesCensorship comes in many forms and for a lot of different reasons but when it comes to the internet, for the most part it is beneficial. It can provide security for sensitive material. The things that minors are exposed to can be limited. Also you can make sure that it is not used to cause chaos. Furthermore it would seem to be a beneficial part of online life. It can provide security for important documents and conversations. Internet censorship can help with cyber security when important information