World Wide Censorship on the Web

As the world moves into a digital age, we've found our laws lagging behind us. In a digital world of Facebook, MySpace, Napster, and Google, just how much are being censored? And is more censorship needed?

The first idea that many people seem to latch to is the US Constitution - that it's laws should extend to the internet. And in some ways, the ideals of Freedom of Speech are exhibited on the Internet. But how can a single country's law be applied to the entire internet? Is that even possible? Personally, I feel that a dated piece of paper is not nearly comphrensive, detailed, or modern enough to deal with the challenges of the new age of media, text, and speech that happens on the internet. We need something far different and modern.

Right now, the Internet stands as a beacon of hope for many people, young and old. They are allowed to express themselves however they wish, and there are very few laws or restrictions preventing people from sharing their minds. And this freedom has created a unique "blog-o-sphere" that has begun consuming the world. This freedom of thought has created a bright new age, where everyone from around the world has the opportunity to experience the life and troubles from people living thousands of miles away from them. This unique creation of the Internet should not be put down or censored in every way - we should encourage this flux of thought.

As the Internet begins to evolve, it has already begun to establish its own culture. It has its own norms, it's "right and wrongs" that don't necessarily apply elsewhere. Because of its fast and speedy evolution, you must wonder - should the laws catch up and apply to the Internet?

In my mind, I think you must allow the freedom of information on the Internet to flourish and grow. Already, this is happening, but government and corporations are creeping up and beginning to impose laws and limits on this flow of free information. One important debate in the United States is Network Neutrality.

As citizens of the Internet, we need to stand up and stop this. We cannot allow the Internet to be controlled by corporation or government. The internet is a place where everyone have a voice, all equally important, and it is everyone's right. This is simply too important to have taken away from us, and we need to fight against censorship.

Sadly, this may be a losing battle. For example, China has implemented firewalls on their country, creating a very comprehensive level of censorship.

The apparatus of the PRC's Internet repression is considered more extensive and more advanced than in any other country in the world. The regime not only blocks website content but also monitors the internet access of individuals. Amnesty International notes that China “has the largest recorded number of imprisoned journalists and cyber-dissidents in the world.”

We cannot let the Internet be censored. The Internet, while a brand new phenomena, has too many people with too many messages to have it shut up or put down.

Long live the internet and your right to speak your mind!

Matt Richards
COMM 203