Internet Censorship Against Essay Research Paper As

Internet Censorship- Against Essay, Research Paper

As the end of the twentieth century nears, a new medium and 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 infancy, its power as a medium is very great, and this is being recognized

ever more frequently by the businesses and people it connects. However, it is also

abundant with information that is considered inappropriate, adult, and/or 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. 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. In favor of this regulation are groups

emphasizing values and some foreign governments. In the latter, often the government

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 there 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.” What this

means is that 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 and 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

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 also a 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.

Another reason the Internet is not censurable is because of its vastness. 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 values 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

censorship), said that chances are slim of somebody coming across indecent material

(Robischon, 57). The largest argument against regulation comes directly from the

Constitution. Citizens are assured of their rights to free speech and freedom of the press,

and proponents believe this should also apply to the Internet. Fr

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