QUESTION
Throughout the world there has been an increase in discussions regarding “Censorship of the Internet”, explain how Censorship can work in some instances but in others it can be a detriment to society.
SOLUTION
Introduction
It is impossible not to acknowledge that internet revolution has instilled the spirit of freedom of expression and information even in the most repressive regimes. It is truly a radical transformation which has knitted the diverse world into a single being. However, in many contexts this free flow and exchange of information is deemed as a serious threat by the authorities of several countries. It has led those countries to impose censorship on internet to limit the flow of information by monitoring, filtering, jamming and tracing the data, which is being exchanged, (Tariq, O. 2006). The extent of censorship has reached such levels that many a times internet users are subjected to the scrutiny of authorities, which has exposed out their privacy under in the name of official coercion (Global Internet Freedom Consortium, 2007). With such intense responses to cyberspace regulations, censorship on internet has become a hot topic in various discourses concerning legislations, academia, media and socio-political concepts. The increasing debate has forces the scholars to investigate censorship on internet both from the regulation perspective and from the libertarian views.
In this article we will discuss both of the facets investigating how cyberspace control works in some contexts while in some others it is proving to be seriously detrimental. The article considers the importance of factors such as pornography laws which are highly important to protect kids and minors from unreasonable exposure (Zuchora-Walske, C. 2009). Similarly, it will elaborate how in national security context criminals and unregulated internet use are using internet to leak sensitive informatio and how censorship on internet can be instrumental in curbing that. Is it not fair on the government’s part to protect sensible information from reaching wrong hands? On the other hand it also delves deep in explaining how censoring internet use is trampling free speech rights. Censoring internet may encourage some repressive governments to resist people’s democratic rights. The debate shall not see any ultimate conclusion, however, the article proposes to weigh both the aspects to enable better resilient response of citizens to necessary cyberspace regulations and censorship.
How Internet Censorship Can Benefit a Society and Nation
Censorship works in controlling unregulatable Cyberlibertarians
One prominent reason why government must impose censorship on internet is that it is much debatable and critical whether online privacy can coexist with national security. Cyberlibertarians or the believers of complete internet freedom state that communication protocols and networked online social communities create challenging form of politics. It is also a major concern that since internet somehow smears the perception of place or ‘locus of action’, the state remains in no position to exercise control under legitimate terms. Thus it is argued on the basis of Cyberlibertarian ideologies that free flow of sensible information on internet leads to making traditional political institutions obsolete (Dyson, et al 1994). It can be understood from the ideals of Cyberlibertarians that they consider internet revolution beyond the control of traditional political and government institutions. The basis of this assumed dominance or threat, as we see from the perspective of national authorities, is the contention that traditional state sovereignty is based on physical boundaries or borders, which makes the seamless cyberspace out of its jurisdiction. The complete internet freedom means that users can move to any place seamlessly and choose the regulatory regime that best suits their motives or requirements (Froomkin, A. M. 1997). Therefore, it is important to modify traditional regulatory bodies to curb the freedom of internet users to ensure that it does not pose threats over national integrity and security. It is imperative to establish the role of the state as a fundamental player to exercise legislative regulations and control over cyber space. Conventions like those, which work on cybercrime give, state the necessary control through censorship like monitoring and tracing, in order to protect national sovereignty and maintain security.
Censorship of Internet Protects Minors and from Unreasonable Exposure
In the present day scenario, there are millions of minors having access of internet. While the proposition of censoring internet for youth is criticized by moral proponents of free speech, others favour censorship considering that it is even more immoral to let youth be exposed to obscene content. Governments of Oklahoma, California, and Florida in the United States have censored pornography to minors (Miller, C.T., 2000).
Easy access to pornographic content is a grave concern, in which censorship works in the best interest of minors. Pornographic content is available on internet not only through the World Wide Web pages but are distributed through older communication platforms like Usenet Newsgroups. Furthermore, other multimedia channels on internet enable live sex acts and unreasonable indulgence. With such wide disseminating networks, internet poses tough fundamental challenges for governance and regulation. Censorship through effective legislation deals with specific pornographic problems over internet and help addressing the challenges of global cyberspace that operates without borders. For instance, the Obscene Publications Act 1959 and 1964 works as a major legislation to suppress internet pornographic of any kind in the United Kingdom. In particular, the section 1 of the 1959 act provides that any content, which tends to deprave or corrupt persons, who are likely to use such content, would be deemed as obscene and will not be permitted to be published or disseminated (HMSO, 1994). Besides, the Australian government is implementing the internet censorship through a mandatory program, ‘clean feed’. The clean feed internet service has been made compulsory for all homes and schools and public centres. It essentially has the service providers to filter out the prohibited websites. The process is working effectively to protect kids from inappropriate internet content (Travaglione, K. 2009).
Therefore, internet censorship works a great deal in protecting society from access and exposure to obscene and inappropriate internet content. Since the self-imposed restrictions often do not prove to be adequate, enforced restrictions become extreme necessary to work in the interests of society. Considering uncontrollable and counter-regulatory technology which escapes ordinary restrictions, call for even more strict censorship regulations. Easy access to any kind of unfiltered information and content and exchange channels make it vital to exercise monitoring and blocking tools of censorship over relevant and vulnerable internet users.
Detrimental Effects of Censorship of Internet
Censorship acts against Human Rights
It is largely seen in repressive countries like China and Iran, for instance, that various censorship measures are employed to limit internet usage. Such measures may include practices like sophisticated surveillance to serious harassment and arrests of people using internet. These countries seek involvement of foreign internet service providers to apply such censorship measures in their country, which if they do not do considering the liberal laws of their home country, might end up losing substantial business in customer country. Renowned internet companyYahoo! has been accused of assistine Chinese government access to identifying information about internet users, so that the government can make identification and arrests of individuals for inappropriate statements expressed on internet. Besides, Yahoo! and Google have also been charged by the Human Rights for censoring and removing important and sensitive information from the country-specific search engines. (Addis, C.L., and Lum, T. 2011).
Repressive regimes, in the name of censorship, are practicing tampering of information and leading online propaganda. Authoritarian regimes like China, Iran and Saudi Arabia are known to be using unreasonable filtering in a quite strict manner during the time of unrest in particular. These countries practice strict censorship measures over micro-blogging platforms like Twitter and other popular social networks. All this is done to suppress the agitation and revolutions against repressive rulings being voiced through global internet channels. Such practices have particularly been seen happening in Syria and Vietnam, where citizen voices against the Arab world were echoing through internet. If we have to analyze via statistics then one out of every three internet users is prevented to use or access information on free internet. As many as 60 countries around the word have been practicing censorship on internet through tools like filtering and ‘netizen’ harassment (Reporters Without Borders, 2011).
Censorship Used for Manipulation and Propaganda
To the even worse of the detrimental face of censorship, several countries and political institutions use tools like distributed denial-of-service and phishing that enable stealing of user password to suppress any rebelling voices. Recalling prominent examples of such practices include pirating of Google and many other internet companies in China in 2009. Instance of cyberattacks was practiced by Vietnam to suppress the protesting statements. In Myanmar, the government prevented many independent websites from operating, slowed down the bandwidth speed to curtail internet usage and shifted the blame over hackers claiming that they were acting against the national interests (Reporters Without Borders, 2011).
Censorship on Internet Is Tampering Free Speech Right
Internet was originally evolving like a place which gave people platforms to freely express their statements and idea across global networks. It is still one of the most effective and valuable technology that has been instrumental in bringing together scholars, scientists and people from various spheres of professions and walks of life to communicate, educate and promote innovative ideas.
However, eventually these widely accessible channels over internet led to increased dissemination of indecent material that forced governments to enforce strict regulations on internet information and access through censorship. In this process, came up other issues that hampered the right and interests of other people for who material deemed inappropriate otherwise may not be so. Thus, in this way the broad censorship lead to damaging the rights and freedom of expression in order to establish safety of minors against inappropriate material. Limiting free internet use to curb pornography access to minors, snatched the right of information on internet from a significant majority people who do not even use pornography websites (Barlow, J.P. 1996). One of the prominent examples of such censorship attack became evident when the Communications Decency Act was taken to the Supreme Court in the United States. The American Civil Liberties Union argued against the act stating that what may deem offensive to one person may be acceptable to another, while under the bill government was authorize what is “patently offensive.” The act essentially would have limited private internet organizations, however, the Supreme Court ruled against it stating that censoring cyberspace reduces the freedom of expression and speech, which is a protected fundamental right by the First Amendment in the constitution of United States (Leatherman, B. 1999).
Censorship As A Tool of Repression
In many countries, dissent, freedom revolution and struggle is suppressed with repressive measures. In doing this curbing freedom of expression plays the major role. Since, in the internet age, freedom of expression has largely spread through online global communication, many governments have diverted their attention towards controlling internet access in order to keep check on exchange of statements and establish surveillance of internet users. The main purpose of censorship practice in this context is to prevent critical information from being disseminated. In the process, many internet users are arrested an imprisoned for exercising their right to free expression (Amnesty International reports on cyber-dissidents, 2004). The internet, in the name of censorship is increasingly becoming a tool of repression. Governments are practicing censorship through monitoring on online exchange of information, filtering to restrict access to information which leads to limiting basic human rights of the citizens. It does not only repress against the citizen to dissent but also restrict other countries to seek and impart information in that country.
Conclusion
The human rights worldwide propose the establishment of fundamental right to impart and receive information. Besides, this right is applicable not only information or ideas which received favourably, but also to offensive expression to oppose, shake or argue against a state, sect or population. In the present day world, internet is one of biggest sources to access and impart information worldwide by defying physical boundaries. Therefore, imposing censorship on internet would lead to suppressing this basic human right and promote repression by authoritarian nations. However, considering the positive implications of censorship in protecting minors from being exposed to indecent content, curbing cybercrime and maintaining national integrity and security, it is important to be transparent in filtering process. The phrases and words being filtered or monitored should be made public, so that a fair argument is made on its implication and it does not lead to repressive acts of harassing internet users in general.
References:
Amnesty International reports on cyber-dissidents, 2004. China: People’s Republic of China, Controls tighten as Internet activism grows, January2004, http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/ENGASA170052004;
Vietnam: http://www.web.amnesty.org/appeals/index/vnm-010805-wwa-eng;
Addis, C.L., and Lum, T. 2011. U.S. Initiatives to Promote Global Internet Freedom: Issues, Policy, and Technology. Congressional Research Service Report for Congress. United States.
Barlow, J.P. 1996. One Man’s Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace.” February 8, 1996.
http://www.cyber24.com/essay/barlow.html
Dyson, et al 1994. Cyberspace and the American Dream: A Magna Carta for the Knowledge Age .
Froomkin, A. M. 1997. The Internet as a Source of Regulatory Arbitrage, in Kahin B. & Nesson, C. (eds) Borders in Cyberspace: Information Policy and the Global Information Infrastructure, (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1997).
Global Internet Freedom Consortium, 2007. Defeat Internet Censorship: Overview of Advanced
Technologies and Products. White Paper.
HMSO, 1994.House of Commons, Home Affairs Committee: First report on Computer Pornography.
Leatherman, B. 1999. Internet Censorship and the Freedom of Speech. American University. Washington, DC
Miller, C.T., 2000. Censoring the Internet. Individual Research Project.
Reporters Without Borders, 2011. Internet Enemies. For Press Freedom.
Tariq, O. 2006. Internet Censorship: The End of Digital Libertarianism? Department of Information Systems London School of Economics
Travaglione, K. 2009. Internet Censorship in Australia – A clean feed?
Zuchora-Walske, C. 2009. Internet Censorship: Protecting Citizens or Trampling Freedom? USA Today. Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
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