...Internet Censorship: Is it American People can access many different sites on the internet. Some are nice and cheery, and some are rude and crude. If anyone wants to see the stats on their favorite football team, no problem, go to their team’s site. Want to look up how to care for your sick dog, no problem, go to the veterinary site. Want to know how to overthrow the government, no problem, go to the anarchist site. Ever wondered what it looks like when a terrorist saws off someone’s head with a pocket knife? Is this a problem? “Censorship is the moral or legislative process by which society ‘agrees’ to limit what an individual can do, say, think, or see.” (Depken, Craig) There may be subjects on the internet that may offend or may be downright immoral to most people, and this is possibly a reason for the government to jump in and censor what people can see on the internet. This is because not everything on the internet is good or whether the majority of people think that the all the material is moral. This means that there should be some guideline for people on the internet. Politics are hot topics for many countries but it seems their need to censor the political sites may be due to their insecurity. Pornography has been a popular target for censors with some justification but there should be no blanket rule for it. Racism is another topic that has been blocked in many countries and this is something that should be studied closely to ensure that when...
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...Technologies Used In Internet Censorship and Control Murdoch (2013) opines the Internet as an entity where control is always fought over for by those that use it. He further demystifies the internet, breaking it down to the two protocols that define it. These are the transmission control protocol – TCP- and the Internet Protocol –Ip. It is these protocols that enable the connection of two separate networks to each other. The protocols enable the easy connection of separate networks, without the need to make the hardware in the networks the same. It also enables restriction abstraction, where networks can be interoperable irrespective of the underlying architecture. It is important to note that the protocols are not the product of a bug; instead they are a deliberate effort to make internet connectivity seamless. The nature of the internet (which unlike other services and goods doesn’t have a single straight forward owner) raises some logical implementation queries related to its restriction. In the beginning, there were some mechanisms of control which were fronted by the members that make up the larger internet community. There existed as norms, that lacked any legal backing form the courts and law enforcement. To ensure adherence to these laws, the internet community leaders (in this case the administrators) would threaten to disconnect the perpetrators and then further block them if they persisted. At the time, it was the hope of many users and administrators that this...
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...Internet Censorship With the click of a mouse, anyone can access an incredible wealth of information on topics ranging from aardvarks to zygotes. We use desktops, laptops, palmtops, and cellular telephones to connect through telephone lines, cable connections, and wireless ports. The Internet is here. It has made our lives richer and easier; it has collapsed boundaries and expanded horizons. Accessibility of information is one of the Internets fundamental features. Never before have so many had access to so much. Herein lies the paradox; while this increased level of information accessibility is one of the Internet's greatest strengths, it is also one of its greatest possible weaknesses. Because this new medium grants more access to the individual, now more than ever, the power and responsibility to censor rests in the hand of the user. While the debate on Internet censorship is complex, it is worth exploring. Through a careful examination of the issues, one can gain the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions on how to responsibly use this awesome tool. Like the invention of the printing press before it, the Internet is a technology capable of changing the way the world functions by releasing information to the masses. Prior to Gutenberg's printing press, only a select few had access to the Bible. This monopoly of information allowed a small group to exploit and abuse the masses through the process of nondisclosure. In the same way that the printing press liberated...
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...activities involved shows that more and more people are using internet for various purpose such as searching, commenting and communication, also times become more frequent than before. There are critical for us to discuss whether internet is an open platform for anyone to do anything. Being censored by the local government is a restriction of internet freedom undoubtedly, paralleling this overall dual perspective, it also is an indispensable protection for national citizens. Based on general knowledge, internet is a platform with decentralized nature which can operate independently and privately. In recent years, its nature has been changed. The government can censors every citizens resources of information as well as communication such as the websites accessed, email content and social networking tools by blocking netizens from accessing specific websites and filtering the sensitive wording. According to R.K., V.D., K.C. (2013, p.2), there are two types of censorship which are technical censorship and non-technical censorship. Technical censorship as the name suggests, the utilization of technical system such as different kind of filters and redirection are applied to users software and code to scout and censor the path of internet services of the user, it has no legal base to support but the authority and government are likely use. While non-technical censorship is usually used coordinate with technical censorship, it bases on legal power to restrict and suppress the radical...
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...The Internet censorship in China which is controversial is protested by the netizens by the subtle and sarcastic internet meme. With technological development, the Internet is becoming a free and convenient place for sharing views and information instantaneously due to its virtual nature. However, the freedom of Internet may consequently contribute to the antithesis of social norms and copyright so Internet censorship has been proposed for censoring the Internet. The debate of implementing it has been characterized as either machine politics, to attract the support of staunch anti-pornography, or an extension into cyberspace of the ongoing battle between libertarianism and social conservation. This essay will discuss both the advantages and the disadvantages of censoring the Internet in Hong Kong before giving reasons for the position of disagreement. Social filtering prevents the exposure of information that is antithetical to morals. In different aspects, including the gambling sites, pornographic sites and sites promoting criminal activity, can the authority block to the targeted people. Many studies reveal that the mass media gives more considerable effects than others on themselves (Lee, 2005). Helgadóttir (2014) criticizes that the first emergence of the pornographic information to children in Iceland is when they are eleven. There are a great amount of pornographic material which are being easily accessible on the Internet so wrong perception of sex may be distributed...
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...Traditionally censorship practices occur across several platforms, both offline and online. It helps to eliminate cases of plagiarism, copyright, deformation and obscene language. Censorship locally displays in books, music, newspapers, radio, televisions, and films. Internet censorship is a control measure of what can be viewed or accessed through the internet basically for religious, moral, administrative, or business reasons. The extent of censorship differs from country to country or within institutions (Adams, 2011). Internet censorship gets motivation from positive desires especially to protect the younger generation from unsuitable internet content (Brown, 2015). In addition to the urge for parental control, there are soft wares that block access to undesired web sites. The internet has numerous content no parent would want their children to see ranging from pornography, obscene speech, or even gambling sites. These soft wares come in handy as it is not possible to constantly monitor children’s access to the internet. Similarly, some companies limit the content available to its employees to improve on productivity and also for moral purposes. However much the internet may be important for researches and communication, it acts as destruction to employees. The internet originally came to being to enable individuals express themselves directly to their targeted audience without the necessity of intermediaries or content regulators. However, this freedom has turned out to...
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...The 21st century is marked by the advent of the Internet. It is followed by the freely-distributed information, which has fuelled public worries about offensive contents, terrorists, copyright infringement. Hence, an issue people are openly debating is whether we should censor the Internet. In my opinion, I am sided with those who oppose this regulation. One of the main benefits associated with the unrestricted environment on the Internet is that netizens can voice their points of view without restraints. The surfers can get the whole picture of a problem and determine their own opinion. Moreover, the driving force behind some websites being blocked is that Internet also serves as a governmental tool. Any contents which go against the political wills and aims will be blocked from the Net. Another main justification for an unregulated cyberspace is that a vast source of knowledge and entertainment can be accessed easily. With a click of a mouse, we can download a song, a movie or a book to the computer. Possibly no century witnesses more drastic changes in the recreation habits than the 21st century has done. Even so, this issue is fraught with controversy, with concern being expressed over the copyright violation. This worry is unnecessary, considering the fact that such download sites also contribute to promoting the art works and distribute them to much more customers. In addition, the artists still get their income through the revenues from selling music via iTunes, Amazon...
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...Internet censorship is the use of filters or ‘blocks’ to control what is published, access and viewed across the internet. It is used by parents, organisations such as schools and corporations and governments to restrict what their citizen’s access and post online. Internet censorship has occurred since the early days of the public internet, where governments around the world have attempted to address the issue of illegal material, political propaganda, harmful material or content deemed unsuitable for children. This essay will discuss the instances of internet censorship failing to work, including when governments have attempted to introduce legislation to restrict access to the internet, and the reasons for the failure. Censorship across the globe will be briefly covered as well as techniques governments which have filters in place use to censor information. Many countries practice internet censorship, where the internet is tightly controlled and speaking your mind on it can get you in serious trouble with the government. According to USA Today, North Korea has the most tightly controlled internet , with all websites being under control by their government. It is so tight that only 4% of the population has access to the internet. Appendix A shows how accessible the internet is in countries. Another highly controlling country is China, where the government severely restricts internet access to their citizens by blocking social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter and...
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...Internet Censorship - SOPA In the past twenty years, the Internet has grown to become an integral part of human function. The unique beauty of the Internet is that it enables its users to share their views and data to a worldwide audience and have their voice heard instantly. Unfortunately, the flexibility of the Internet also allows it to be exploited for illegal activity such as the distribution and theft of copyrighted content. Many governments find this problematic to their economies and are making increased efforts to control Internet use through censorship. The United States recently introduced the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in an attempt to fight online trafficking of copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods by enabling law enforcement to block access to entire Internet domains. While proponents of the legislation argue this is necessary to bolster enforcement of copyright laws, opponents argue the proposed legislation threatens free speech. SOPA provides just one example of how controversial Internet censorship proves to be . The entertainment industry has always desired more strict regulation on Internet piracy for many years. Pirated data has become more easily accessible and more elusive than ever. The biggest supporters of SOPA include the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America, dealing with movies and music, respectively. The case for SOPA is to protect copyrighted content and those who produce...
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..."To monitor and limit what content may and may not be seen by internet users could be seen as a good thing, a form of protection--protecting the innocent minded against graphic images or cyberbullying; however when practiced these restrictions can not only protect innocents, but ignorance too. These sort of restrictions create a gray area that can potentially result in impeding on a citizen's’ right to free speech. Allowing government moderation and censorship of the internet creates a realm of ambiguity as to what can and cannot be said or seen on the internet platform, and ultimately may restrict citizens from learning about “controversial†topics (which are important to discuss in a society so the individual can form his or her own opinions on the matter and create their own personal ideologies) and keeping people in the dark in regards to what is happening in the world around them--for you and I both know the world does not censor itself for the public eye--can be seen as a blatant injustice done to the public. And the provoking question that is the source for all the controversy surrounding all the arguments for and against...
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...For our groups final project topic we decided on Internet censorship in China. This topic in more detail looks at a variety of laws and administrative regulations formed by the government of China, which has caused Chinese citizens to be kept from the many areas of the internet that pertain to a specific idea or event. The government of China has directly blocked many events and topic from there citizens viewing, like, freedom of speech, democracy and Tiananmen Square protest. Also many foreign website have been blocked or restricted for use in China. We will be looking at these events that happen between the years of 2009-2103 that were related to the topic of China’s internet censorship. Some of these events we will be looking at is, the...
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...Introduction Censorship policies are already in place within the media, entertainment, and political outlets; however, they must continue to be regulated at a fair and balanced level for the betterment of all citizens. Censorship has been a heavily argued subject matter for ages. As more and more laws and regulations arise concerning this subject, people need to have a general knowledge of the cenario as a whole. The situation for other extreme censored nations needs to be assessed furthermore in order to better ourselves and our living situation. Body Censorship is the suppression of speech or deletion of communicative material which...
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...The Internet allows people across the world to communicate from anywhere around the globe. In order to communicate over the internet, each computer must connect to the internet using their Internet Protocol address (IP), this is usually a temporary address as most internet users may connect through their internet service carrier. The internet gives people in most countries freedom to communicate, do business and build friendships, learning about each other’s culture as well as positively impacting countries’ economic system. However, many countries, especially those of communist tendencies are very strict about what they want to be shared over the Internet. To preventing hackers, worm and viruses from affecting a computer system, a firewall is installed. A firewall is a software...
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..."The free internet is used every day and is the most popular form of communication, marketing, and business. Apps and websites such as Instagram, Google, and online banking, are all controlled by the producers and or companies of each single application. Abusing these types of businesses can result in consequences, and abusing them in ways that break the law should concern the government and its power to monitor the sources. For example, posting inappropriate media or sending hostile comments are able to be dealt with within the Instagram company. In these scenarios, social media sites offer a “report†option, allowing users to report content they feel shouldn’t be on the site. In cases where media that breaks the law of harassment like posting a video of a minor using an illegal drug or a video of a robbery, can be taken over by the government and taken into further steps than just “report.†The government should have the power to take things involving the government into their hands, keeping the internet safe....
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...government censorship over internet, which is turning into a national dilemma as well as the cross-national conflict which affect the global businesses. Nowadays, internet censorship is widely accepted standard regulation that controls any information available on the internet and by using filtering tools to prevent people from accessing materials that are considered to be inappropriate. While government support the use of internet censorship as a protection of public security and defines the ‘inappropriate material’ to determine what people can view on the internet, others argue that it is simply a tool to take away people from their own right to express freedom of speech and make people blindly accept what they can access on the internet. The paper also addresses the growing problem of cross-national conflict by giving the practice of multinational company Google and addressing the issues of the value system between Chinese and US government. The paper concludes that as the rapid growth of internet technology and international businesses, it has become more difficult to achieve both control of information and the benefits of technology, and there is a need for balance between these two factors. Table of Contents Abstract I Table of Contents II 1. Introduction １ 2. The nature of internet development and censorship ２ 2.1The history and nature of internet development ２ 2.2 Methods of internet control ２ 2.2.1 Internet filtering technology ３ 2.2.2 Internet regulation...
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