Censorship In The U S Essay

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As the end of the twentieth century nears, a new tool has emerged as the future of communications, business, news, education, and entertainment. This tool is the Internet, a worldwide network of computers currently connected by phone lines. While it is still in its early stages, it is already being recognized as the best form of reference and advertisement for businesses and personal needs. However, it is also abundant with material considered inappropriate, adult, and vulgar by many people. Many social groups and politicians are alarmed at how children and teenagers can readily access this material. Around the world, the call has gone out for restriction and censorship of the Internet. However, this rally has been met with mixed results. People who support freedom of speech on the Internet quote from the first amendment of the Constitution. In addition, many groups are in favor of restricting the Internet, similarly to how television is regulated in the United States. Government, for example, does not want the citizens being introduced to new ideas, which may cause discontent and unrest in some cases. Whether the Internet should and can be censored is one debate which affects much of the modern world. Though their are strong arguments on both sides, by examining evidence it can be decided that there is no feasible way to regulate the Internet at the present time in the United States.

Before any censorship can even be attempted, some serious questions must be

answered. The most important of these is "What is the Internet's identity?" The type of media the Internet represents has not yet been determined. It must be decided whether the "Net" is considered a broadcast system, which could be subject to regulation, or a communications system like phone and mail systems, which could not be legally regulated (Jones, 18).

Additionally, values and morals must be questioned. Many people believe that responsibility should be handled between parents and children, not by the government. The American people, as well as people around the world, may not be willing to hand this responsibility to politicians, who could hypothetically use this power to their advantage in some situations. Many proponents of Internet restriction have rallied around "community standards." However, it should be noted that these standards have not yet been implemented in any medium currently available, with the exception of television (Robischon, 57). Even here, their effectiveness is the source of a fierce debate. The Simon Wiesenthal Center recently submitted a list of Internet sites which negatively depict Latinos, Jews, Gays, and African Americans (Jones, 18). Though such ideas may seem disgusting to many people, free speech is protected in the Constitution, and a child with "proper" values would not be drawn to this type of site in the first place. People, not the computers that simply relay the information are to blame for situations such as this.

Lack of understanding of the Internet is another reason opposition has risen, particularly within the U.S. Congress. Most senators have admitted that they are net-illiterate (Yang, 73). This situation has caused Internet proponents to strive towards educating Congress through use of demonstrations on the Senate floor. Another question that must be answered is whether current obscenity laws can be applied to the Internet. Before any action can be taken, these questions and countless others must be answered.

Moreover, censorship on the web is far too difficult due to its vastness. For example, the Internet contains chat groups and newsgroups, which are bulletin boards where individuals can post messages. These messages can be read by anyone in the world and are so numerous that they are impossible to regulate. On average, there are about 10,000 chat groups available on each Internet service provider (James, 26). The huge number of messages sent each day would be impossible to control and regulate by any current means.

Also, the term "indecent" has not yet been clearly defined. Because of this, there is no way that is technologically feasible to screen for "indecency" without cutting out

legitimate speech, such as discussions about AIDS. Many groups have

complained about how easily children can stumble across indecent material; such is not

the case. Even an expert witness from the government (which for the most part favors...

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