Introduction to Global Business - Assignment Example

Internet Censorship in Canada Background (source: CIA) Population: 34,300,083 GDP 737 trillion GNI per capita (US 41,100 2.5% Growth Rate Religion: 42.6% Roman Catholic, 23.3% Protestant, 16% NoneOfficial Languages: English and FrenchGovernment: Parliamentary democracy, federation, and constitutional monarchyMarket-orientated economic systemUsed to come under the rule of Great Britain until 1867Member of: NAFTA, US-Canada FTARelatively low unemployment at 7.5%Culture and Customs (source: Culture of Canada)Canada is named after the Iroquoian word, Kanata, which means villageCanada is bilingual, with English and French both recognized as official languagesClass divisions have more to do with education and income levelThere is relative equality of in terms of genderChristmas and Easter are the main holidays celebratedBusiness Outlook (source: Doing Business in Canada)Ease of Doing Business: 13/183Enforcing Contracts: 59/183Protecting Investors: 5/183Web Censorship (source: United States and Canada OpenNet)Internet Users: nearly 75 percent of populationSection 320.

1 of the Canadian Criminal Code states that a judge can issue a warrant authorizing the deletion of publicly available online hate propaganda from computer systems located within the jurisdiction of the courtPart VI of the Criminal Code governs the powers of law enforcement to engage in electronic surveillance of private communications when conducting criminal investigationsLawmakers have decreed that private entities have the power to force ISPs to remove content or use filteringThe general population is against many of the extreme measures proposed, and so there is very little chance of increased Internet regulation in Canada any time soonTypes of Censored Sites (source: Internet Censorship in Canada)Hate speechChild pornographyDefamationMy Opinion Canada is fairly open when it comes to Internet access.

A large percentage of the country is able to use the Internet in an open and friendly way, but there have been instances where some questionable material has been censored. This material is usually something to do with hate speech or child pornography, which is perfectly understandable in this case. Public opinion features strongly when it comes to regulation of the Internet, with most citizens preferring to have the Internet as open as possible. There is very little threat of political speech being suppressed on the Internet because Canada is a well-established democracy.

As in many western countries, the one thing that may be cracked down on in the future is illegal content such as music and movies. However, there are many legal hurdles involved in this area, so it is likely that censorship will not occur in the short term.“The more freely information flows, the stronger the society becomes, because then citizens of countries around the world can hold their own governments accountable. They can begin to think for themselves.” U.S. President Barack Obama (source: Obama Pushes China To Stop Censoring the Internet)Citations“CIA - The World Factbook.” 1 Aug. 2012. .“Culture of Canada” .

“Doing Business in Canada.” .“United States and Canada - OpenNet Initiative.” .“Internet Censorship in Canada.” .“Obama Pushes China To Stop Censoring the Internet.” 16 Nov. 2009. .