Internet Censorship in the Peoples Republic of China - Research Paper Example

On mainland China, Chinese citizens, for the most part, have expressed skepticism about the authenticity of online content in general and largely agree that the internet should be monitored and controlled and that the control should come from the government. The fact remains, the government’s control in China is natural to the people of China and the idea of government commandeering social control is deeply entrenched in Chinese culture and history. In China it is largely perceived that should the internet remain free of control the incidents of blackmail, invasion of privacy, sensationalism, fraud, illicit sexual content would invade Chinese lives unchecked creating base morals and social problems.

The purpose of the articles contained in this study is to examine the methods of internet censorship in China and how it is perceived in both China and in the Western world. The goals and objectives are to justify both positions and to explain why Chinese control of the internet is conducive to modern China and the protection of its culture and history.By Western democratic standards, the Chinese governments' pattern of information control is inconsistent with age old concepts of freedom of expression and the right of the people to freely receive and impart information.

Authoritarianism, by contrast, takes the position that democracy creates and increases the incidents of instability and undermines the chances for order and economic growth. No one system of beliefs is superior to the other and each territory adapts a system which works better for its people and its ideals and norms. In fact, while Western scholars advocate against the use of censorship control of the internet and information in China there are many others who argue that censorship is not limited to China.