Censorship and the Global Network - Essay Example

?Running head: CENSORSHIP AND THE GLOBAL NETWORK Censorship and the Global Network al Affiliation CENSORSHIP AND THE GLOBAL NETWORK Abstract In the context of the visual research task the problem of censorship of contemporary global network was studied. With the growing popularity of the Internet, the governments of some countries resort to new methods of restriction of information accessing, including so-called e-censorship. Such censorship implies “control or suppression of the publishing or accessing of information on the Internet” (Glanville, 2008). Nowadays lots of countries think over the problem of internet censorship implementation. But, in accordance with the Committee to Protect Journalists data, the countries with high level of filtration of internet content (China, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Iran, etc.) are suppressing the human rights of the citizens by restricting the access to free media. Moreover, the authorities often resort to some illegal methods, such as spying on journalists by means of the internet, sabotaging of their work and even different forms of violence. So, it turns out that the global network censorship serves the particular interests of some people. Key words: global network, internet censorship, filtration of internet content, CPJ. CENSORSHIP AND THE GLOBAL NETWORK Due to the growing number of Internet users, the governments of some countries resort to new, more sophisticated methods of restriction of access to information, including so-called e-censorship. Censorship is perhaps one of the most controversial topics for discussion. Many people, much understanding of this phenomenon. The generally accepted notion of censorship implies restrictions on the free form of the exchange and dissemination of information. The official reason for this restriction is a legally approved need to protect the interests of the state, society and its institutions. Internet censorship in the conceptual sense means limitation or suppression of access to information on the Internet, including the prohibition or restriction of the location or other information. On the one hand, trying to control the Internet is the same as trying to fight against windmills, at least, in those states, where the citizens' opinions matter and can influence public policy. On the other - in some countries (China, North Korea, Iran, Kazakhstan), where the total control over the joints of state networking with international ones is executed, it is possible to limit the exchange of information. Sure, it is possible, even despite the fact, that from the technical point of view the efforts of one country to monitor the whole widely ramified structure of the Internet are not enough (Madsen, 2005). The Internet censorship implies not only blocking or closing of any Web resource, but also a traffic analysis, the organization of the pseudo-opposition web resources and the application of punitive measures against the authors of the publications or the owners of web servers. For example, “in December 2000, the United States Congress passed legislation requiring Internet blocking technology to block pornographic materials in all public schools and libraries funded through certain federal programs” (Glanville, 2008) . It should be noted that the USA belongs to the countries with the nominal level of internet content filtration. CENSORSHIP AND THE GLOBAL NETWORK Today in most European countries there are no settled at the legislative level mechanisms of the Internet censorship implementation, in the true sense of this term. But who said that censorship, as well as Internet censorship, is the exclusive prerogative of the state? In fact, it is customary to distinguish several types of censorship: corporate, military, moral, political, religious. For example, the concept of corporate censorship includes the process of blocking (at times - very hard) any unsolicited information about a company or its business partners. Independent media are also subject to some kinds of censorship, because very often their welfare depends on large number of advertisers (Glanville, 2008). Nonetheless, today, government censorships in lots of countries are considerably weaker and flimsy, compared to non-state ones. In 2008, the NGO Reporters without Borders published data on the effects of Internet censorship. So, in 2008 1,740 web sites were closed or blocked, 105 bloggers suffered for their material published on the Internet, one of them was killed, 59 were arrested and 45 were physically attacked. Reporters without Borders started publishing a list of “Enemies of the Internet”. This organization views a country as an enemy of the internet because “all of these countries mark themselves out not just for their capacity to censor news and information online but also for their almost systematic repression of Internet users”. The given list is being updated annually. Let us consider the specifics of Internet censorship, applied in some particular states, which van be regarded as the leaders in this segment. The most scandalous event in the sphere of Internet censorship was prosecution of Julian Assange, the founder of the WikiLeaks resource. The official reason was the accusation of rape, the unofficial - too arbitrary (read – exposing lots of politicians) supply of information on the aforementioned website. CENSORSHIP AND THE GLOBAL NETWORK As for China, this country created so-called "great Chinese firewall", which purpose is to block IP-address of the sites that, according to the Chinese government, have “questionable content”. Celestial power assigned the responsibilities connected with blocking of objectionable sites (the site of BBC, for example, is also one of them) on the internet providers. In 2006, Google's search site was opened in the Chinese language, but under the terms of the agreement with the Chinese government, Google is required to block the access for residents of the PRC to the sites with politically incorrect, from the standpoint of the Chinese authorities, content. Wikipedia is also banned in China at a very curious pretext of “anti-propaganda of violence in the media” (BBC News, 2 September 2002). In Cuba before 2004, only doctors and officials of higher ran were allowed to use the Internet, and only by special permission of the authorities. For all other citizens of Cuba using of the worldwide network was banned at the legislative level. Since 2008, there is a very active struggle against online media in Kazakhstan. According to information published in “Kazakhstan Today”, in 2008, 10 Internet publications were blocked by the country (URL http://en.rsf.org/). In April 2009, the lower house of Kazakhstan parliament approved a bill on regulatory measures on the Internet. In July 2009, Nursultan Nazarbaev signed legislative amendments, which equated all websites to the media, and now at the highest legislative level, the law, putting up blogs and chat rooms on one level with media. But under the legislation of Kazakhstan, the work of the media may be terminated by the court; the General Attorney of the Republic also has the right to close them. According to the report of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), released on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day (May 3, 2011), methods, applied by the governments of some countries, are not limited to censorship of the Internet. By means of the Internet they practice spying on journalists and sabotage the work of independent news sites – CENSORSHIP AND THE GLOBAL NETWORK the most vulnerable organs of a free press, not just for censorship, but in order to block or disrupt the process of news coverage and dissemination of information. According to the authors of the report, the attack on the Internet is often accompanied by threats against journalists. According to CPJ, on December 1, 2010, 69 journalists, who published their material mainly in the network, found themselves behind bars. “The most heavily filtered Internet access is in countries with a low degree of democracy, where the authorities are afraid of the citizens’ access to independent media. In these countries, they deceive the citizens, hinder the development of free media by restricting the free exchange of opinions, suppress human rights, etc” (URL http://en.rsf.org/). Summing up, it should be noted that if the democratic countries usually hide censorship under the guise of fighting, let’s say, child pornography, against which, naturally, no sane person would speak out, the countries with the regime of dictatorship use to control citizens' access to the Internet without any cover. However, let’s recall the words of Bill Gates, who said that he sees no danger to the world, in general, if someone tries to restrict the free flow of information through the network, since it is impossible to control the Internet - sooner or later freedom of speech will be restored. Indeed, according to experts, the imposition of restrictions almost immediately leads to the emergence of new workarounds. CENSORSHIP AND THE GLOBAL NETWORK References "China blocking Google". BBC News. 2 September 2002. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2231101.stm Glanville, Jo. (17 November 2008). "The big business of net censorship". London: The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/nov/17/censorship-internet "Internet enemies", Reporters Without Borders, 12 March 2009. Retrieved from http://www.rsf.org/IMG/pdf/Internet_enemies_2009_2_.pdf Madsen, Wayne. (2005). Internet Censorship. Retrieved from http://www.rense.com/general69/intercens.htm Read More