TV and Internet Censor in Developing Countries - Coursework Example

Download file to see previous pages The Information and Communication Technology industry is increasing its penetration and presence in the Third World. The flip side of this localization is that the Internet is no longer the vehicle of free speech and expression that it once was. The academic community is divided in its perception of these developments. For example, while researchers like Jack Goldsmith and Timothy Wu argue in their book ‘Who Controls the Internet? Illusions of a Borderless World’ that this transformation of the cyberspace is for the better, while scholars like Milton Mueller disagree with this view. Both sides have strong and weak points in support of their positions. The rest of this essay will evaluate the merit of these arguments in an attempt to ascertain the level of censorship in developing nations.
The case of the Chinese government’s control over Internet content in the country is a particularly blatant example of the notion that national borders have survived in the virtual world. The Information and Communication Technology, which aided the Chinese government to impose political order in the cyber world, has also facilitated political dissent. For instance, it is through the same medium of communication that exiled Tibetans have organized their protests and demonstrations against the authoritarianism of the Communist Party in China (Frisby, 2002). In the lead up to the Olympic Games in Beijing earlier this year, the Chinese authorities had a tough time dealing with the Tibetan protesters. The power of new digital technology to facilitate legitimate political dissent is something that needs to be preserved and encouraged. Irrespective of the fact that Tibet had traditionally been a feudal society ridden with oppression and brutality, neutral political commentators across the world agree that the Tibetan fight for liberation from China is not unreasonable.  ...Download file to see next pagesRead More