Should The Government Censor The Internet Media Essay

Should The Government Censor The net profit Media EssayThe growth of culture and communication technology has signifi merchant shiptly impacted on every expression of the world on most a good deal noted is the mesh. The advancement of Information and communication technology ICT, conjugated with the rapid uptake of increasingly affordable, key technologies such as the meshing, has also helped foster an environment that promotes globalization of knowledge and information. The Internet has revolutionalized communication making information gravel across boundaries deemed seemingly impossible in the past a thing of general practice. People around the world are able to pass by with unprecedented ease.In the past, judicature has enjoyed great successes in censoring traditional communication media and this has affected information flow to the masses. The meshing on the former(a) hand with is multi-directional information flow communication nature where anyone can air their opinio ns on any desired issue at allow has posed great challenges to administrations. For countries with shackleive regimes, the Internet has become a revolutionary force as it allows the free flow of information and which has been perceived as threat by the authorities in both(prenominal) countries. Government in some countries urinate responded imposing strict censoring on Internet usage by the public through monitoring, filtering and access to some site in the net income in a bid to control access to information. Internet censorship can be defined as the control or suppression of the publishing or accessing of information on the Internet.Internet censorship has been a greatly debated topic around the world with mickle having various opinions. In most countries political relations at different take involve been the in the fore effort in the campaign for a regulated internet. Though there are a few arguments that check the need to have the internet censored, it has been l argely rejected by organizations and individuals across the world as censorship of the internet is widely regarded by many as an attempt by government to suppress independence of speech.This essay examines the arguments against internet censorship by government, its impact, successes and failures of government in some countries that stakeed on such projects, and the challenges they have faced. It also assesses the key importance of censorship and concludes with an individual opinion evaluating the stated arguments.The case against the governmentCampaigners against the governments censorship of the internet have strongly opposed censorship and have stated that it pr pointts independence of speech thereof lowmining confidence and trusts in the medium and this inhibits crucial flows of data. excessively, Internet censorship and filtering leads to monitoring which is seen by many as another big brother ploy by government to invade the public privacy. It is more often argued that t he government bequeath use internet censorship as a tool to promote governmental agenda and the public has been quick to conclude that the true voice of the public leave behind not be heard. In Australia, the National-Anarchists reject any parliamentary censorship of material and the reasons given has been summed up precisely, any companionship that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both Benjamin Franklin.1Reports on internet censorship show the level of its pervasiveness recently being experienced in some countries. There are several tools and solutions instituted by the government of these countries for the purpose of internet censorship and also the subject matter censored also vary with most out of use(p) contents being political, pornographic, religious contents and others. 2The common argument used by most countries in proposing censorship is that of small fry pornography. Most people however believe that the govern ments plans on internet censorship do not quite provide the solution to child pornography. It is often seen as, and in item proven by experts that websites play only a minor role in circulation of child abuse materials and cannot be simply banned by Government 1. It is often suggested that censoring for children by utilizing a user backed computer software and filtering systems instead of governmental censorship is a viable solution for keeping children away from indecent internet content. There are several software systems that allow parental control of internet materials.The OpenNet Initiative (ONI) has do a categorization of nations that is classes as internet enemy list. The ONI is joint project between some schoolman institutions across the world with the goal to monitor and report on internet filtering and surveillance activities by different nation. The project uses several means to determine the extent and nature of government-run internet filtering programs. It lists Ch ina, Iran Saudi Arabia etc in the caput of internet censorship in the world. A new wave is now being generated by the Australian government as it moves to launch its own internet censorship project, 3 which has sparked up several arguments across the world. agree to the ONI reports, censorship varies with countries and some countries have pervasive filtering policies, often routinely pulley-block access to not bonny pornographic and nix contents, but also human rights organizations, news, blogs, and Web services that challenge the status quo or are deemed threatening or undesirable. The Chinese governments The Great firewall currently uses four mechanisms DNS blocking, reset commands, URL keyword blocking and content scanning to pr level(p)t Internet users in the country from reaching blacklisted Web sites or content 16. This technique though quite effective faces some technology challenges as private VPNs used by banks, manufacturing and other businesses often allow users wit hin these organizations bypass this great firewall. These VPN services are now even open to the public for sign up at a fee that is quite affordable and attempts by the government to clamp down on this may impact on the economy since businesses will be affected. The general public thus rides on this loophole 4.Methods of implementing censorship have also been criticized. Blocking unwanted and prohibited content using a dynamic process that would require analysis of website content in real-time would significantly slow down the internet. This is already being experience on the china network. 4. Reports from Australia also suggests this will be the case when the Australian project kick off. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) confirmed that under trial conditions internet filtering reduced speeds between 2% and in excess of 75%, but with half(prenominal) the tested products falling between 20-30%. It was concluded that proper implementation of the censorship pro ject could result in a 20% drop in internet speeds 5.Policies have been another hugely criticize factor. oftentimes times government policies on censorship do not make a clear characteristic on materials unfit for internet content, this resulting in legal and harmless contents being blocked. Organizations have challenged and even filed lawsuits to prevent passage of censorship bills in some states citing free speech violation and the decision to embark on censorship as unconstitutional. This is the case of a Utah Internet Censorship law, intended to lop childrens access to material on the Internet but that may in fact also restrict prominents access to a wide range of lawful material 6. Examples cited COPA internet censorship law of 1998, include whether an education web page showing young women how to perform self examinations for breast cancer be banned and being classed as sexually explicit 7.Australian government for example intends to use a public complaints mechanism for b lacklisting URLs as well as URLs provided by international agencies. Analysts have questioned the accountability and foil of this and have stated that the same government bureaucrats who put together their initialed flawed blacklist would remain liable as arbitrators of the system. In support of the publics claim, a recently leaked list of blacklisted website showed that about half of the sites listed were in fact not related to child porn as claimed by the government but sooner other contents that were to a certain power point could be classified as legal content for the adult community. This has sparked further debate on the issue 8.A word for the governmentThe biggest arguments bribeed so far by the government in support of internet censorship have been issues relating to preventing access to illegal contents and child pornography, racism, fraud terrorism, religion etc. With the attempts so far made by several nations to impose some form of censorship meeting with similar res istance, government should realize that the key challenges faced are one-third fold, the people, the law and the coping with technology.One could however wonder why the topic on censoring the internet would generate so much argument when the public indeed presently abides by certain degree of censorship. From schools preventing access to certain contents and websites, warnings are displayed on university networks on the impact of downloading of file sharing, companies prevent employees from accessing see systems, networking website and other sites at work using firewalls to ISPs blocking potential dangerous contents either because of computer virus or to keep their network safe and uncompromised, Why then is the public so opposed to the government censoring the internet? It could be safe to state that the public is just not ready for the utmost(a) spectrum of Internet control which would result in a globally regulated internet by the government for the fear that the public could lose its freedom of speech and the fear unknown.Conclusion RecommendationThough internet censorship could be considered a necessity in cases where there is need to set a metre for publishing and the kind of information to publish on highly sensitive topics, by and large the foreseeable disadvantages far surpasses the benefits that may be accrued. I do not see Government succeeding in the offing in the fight to regulate content on the internet. Technology favours the public internet users rather than government and as such the government will be playing catch-up and their efforts may yet be foiled. Technology is presently enabling data encryption, user generated videos and pod casts thus complicating the tasks by the monitoring bodies. Also the laws governing internet censorship if passed will meet several barriers as they are more in all probability to be passed by countries independently. The internet spans boundaries and how these laws would apply to other countries a crucial a spect of consideration. The law will need to keep up with changing technology as such there will be no rest for law makers. Passing laws takes considerable time, and lapse in law would result in loopholes that could be exploited by the public.In addition, the controversies generated by government censoring the internet far overbalance the benefit. The internet is a global communication platform and the government needs to study close forwards imposing laws. Close attention should however the paid to the fact that the global nature of the net does present problems to censorship.To conclude, though the proposed laws by government to regulate the internet is of good intention, it is unwise for the government to censor the internet because any law infringing on the publics right to free speech or breaching individuals right to privacy and freedom on such a vast communication medium as the internet will be difficult to enforce.