Internet Censorship Term paper

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Internet Censorship

For centuries governments have tried to regular materials deemed inappropriate or

offensive. The history of western censorship was said to have begun when Socrates was

accused "firstly, of denying the gods recognized by the State and introducing new

divinities, and secondly of corrupting the young." He was sentenced to death for these

crimes. Many modern governments are attempting to control access to the Internet. They

are passing regulations that restrict the freedom people once took for granted.

The Internet is a world wide network that should not be regulated or censored by

any on country. It is a complex and limitless network which allows boundless possibilities

and would be effected negatively by the regulations and censorship that some countries are

intent on establishing. Laws that are meant for other types of communication will not

necessarily apply in this medium. There are no physical locations where communications

take place, making it difficult to determine where violations of the law should be

prosecuted. There is anonymity on the Internet and so ages and identities are not known

this makes it hard to determine if illegal activities are taking place in regards to people

under the legal age. As well, it is difficult to completely delete speech once it has been

posted, Meaning that distributing materials that are obscene are banned becomes easy

The American Library Association (ALA) has a definition that states censorship is

"the change in the access status of material, made by a governing authority or its

representatives. Such changes include: exclusion, restriction, remove, or age/grade level

changes." This definition, however, has a flaw in that it only recognizes one form of

censorship-governmental censorship.

Cyberspace, a common name for the Net, has been defined by one author as being

"made up of millions of people who communicate with one another through computers. It

is also "information stored on millions of computers worldwide, accessible to others

through telephone lines and other communication channels "that" make up what is known

as cyberspace." The same author went on to say " term itself is elusive, since it is not so

much a physical entity as a description of an intangible."

The complexity of the Internet is demonstrated through its many components. The

most readily identifiable part is the World Wide Web (WWW). This consists of web pages

that can be accessed through the use of a web browser. Web pages are created using a

basic programming language. Another easily identified section of the Internet is e-mail.

Once again it is a relatively user-friendly communication device. Some other less

publicized sections of the Internet include: Internet Relay Chat (IRC), which allows real

time chatting to occur among thousands of people, Gopher, which works similarly to the

WWW but for a more academic purpose, and File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Which allows

the transfer of files from one computer to another. Another service that is not Internet but

is carried along with it in many instances is Usenet or News. In Usenet there are many

newsgroups which center their conversations on varied topics. For example,

rec.music.beatles would focus the discussion on the Beetles. This would be done through

posts or articles, almost like letters sent into a large pot where everyone can read and

reply. Many controversial newsgroups exist and they are created easily. It is possible to

transfer obscene and pornographic material through these newsgroups. There is no

accurate way to determine how many people are connected to the Internet because the

number grows so rapidly everyday. Figures become obsolete before they can be

published. "[The Internet] started as a military strategy and, over thirty years later, has

evolved into the massive networking of over 3 million computers worldwide". One of the

most prominent features of the young Internet was it had freedom. It is " a rate example

of a true, modern, functional anarchy...there are no official censors, no bosses, no board of

directors, no stockholders". It is an open forum where the only thing holding anyone back

is a conscience. The Internet has "no central authority" and therefore it makes it difficult

to be censored. As a result of these and more, the Internet offers potential for a true

democracy.

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 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 Internet especially these issues. Laws intended for

other types of communication will not necessarily apply in this medium. Through all the

components of the Internet it becomes easy to transfer material that particular

governments might find objectionable. However, all of these ways of communicating on

the Internet make up a large and vast system. For inspectors to monitor every E-mail,

Webpage, IRC channel, Gopher site, Newsgroups, and FTP site would be near impossible.

This attempt to censor the Internet would violate the freedom of speech rights that are

included in democratic constitutions and international laws. It would be a violation of the

First Amendment. The Constitution of the United States of America declares that

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,

or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of

speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to

assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances"

Therefore it would be unconstitutional for any sort of censorship to occur on the Internet

and affiliated services. Despite the of being illegal restrictions on Internet access and

content are increasing world-wide under all forms of government. In France, a country

where the press generally have a large amount of freedom, the Internet...

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