Whether the Internet Is an Ally of Liberation or Not - Assignment Example

Whether the Internet Is an Ally of Liberation or Not Introduction The internet is the system through which the connectivity of the people to the other billions of people at the distant places in this world is maintained. Internet has a significant impact on the modern society. It has led to the social transformation along with cultural transformation. Moreover, it has also led to the changes in the lifestyle of people and their perceptions (Green, 2010). The history of the internet originally beganin1962, when there was the beginning of the “Galactic Network” (Abbate, 2000). However, on the present day context, the internet is omnipresent and almost every individual has the access to the internet. This has also become the most important social need for an individual in order to get connected with the other people through a virtual connection. The social media networking is one of the most popular aspects of the internet. It has been observed that the people in the modern day are mostly involved in expressing their feelings and sharing vital information over the internet. The evolution of social media networking sites has further added towards increasing the ability of people to establish contact with family friends and other at the least possible costs. However, there is also a concern for the internet, especially the social media networking sites like the Facebook, blogs, Twitter and LinkedIn, among others. People over the internet using social media application are widely engaged in performing numerous tasks with little restrictions. In other words, people enjoy greater flexibility and autonomy in expressing their views and thoughts with the use of the internet than any traditional source of communication (Fuchs, 2013). Contextually, the essay makes an argumentative study regarding the issue whether the internet is an ally of liberation or not. In addition, the essay provides rationale supporting either of the contention. Discussion Internet an Ally of Liberation In the modern day context, internet has highly influenced the lives of people throughout the world. This is also because of the liberty of the user that he/she possesses in expressing information of any content of his/her choice. Simultaneously, the user also has the liberty to access any information from the internet of his/her choice. This aspect can be observed in social media networking sites like the Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and various blogs. It is argued that the use of these social media tools offers users with the liberty to express any information across the world at his/her own discretion. The information may be repulsive for many individual and who might have visited, the pages publishing the same information over the internet. The users also have the liberty to comment on certain contents of his/her choice. There are no specific laws or policies restricting the users to comment a repulsive message to the society or any specific individual. This encourages the users to publish offensive messages (Trottier & Fuchs, 2014). It is also observed that the offensive comments also lead to the various riots in the world. A particular community commenting some offensive message to the mass against other community in certain cases results in the formation of conflict amid the two communities. This provides an evidence justifying internet as an ally of liberation Moreover, it is to be noted that because of the liberty associated the internet users many terrorist groups across the world can be seen to us the flexibility or liberty offered by the internet to carry out their adverse ad malicious interest. Almost all the terrorist attacks in the present world, taking place can be identified to share some sort of connection with internet. The liberty of the users to avail any information regarding content is at ease. This makes the terrorist to gain information regarding their operation and hence, commit a crime that has an adverse impact on various aspects of society. Moreover, in this regard, there are some more facts that run parallel to the concept of the internet that provides liberty to the user. One of them is that there are certain websites and Weblinks in the internet that deliberately provides distasteful elements for earning revenue from the source. These elements are socially not acceptable and hence, are banned in certain nations. However, there are certain countries that have no legal restriction over those contents and organisation has the liberty to use internet for collecting and disseminating information that may have disruptive impact. It is also to be noted that the countries that have the placed ban over those web sources, the user also has the liberty to express the contents and so the people to view the same (Olsher, 2012). There are evidences that supports the statement that internet allies with the liberty of the user. This identification of several scams has taken in the recent past years. As from the liberty of availing information from the internet sources the various scams are also identified. These reveal the liberty of the investigation department of a nation in availing information from the internet. Hence, contribute to the benefit of the society (Wensink & Vet, 2013). There are also certain evidences of the social movements against the liberty of the users to avail and express information that hampers the morality of the society. This provides the evidence of the liberty of the people in the internet. This is certain because as the individuals who are engaged in the movement must have the definite reason and evidences for the protest regarding the liberty of the internet user. Another such evidences can be drawn by the government restriction over certain web sources. There are certain web-sources having certain offensive contents are banned by the government of different nations. The banning of those web pages implies that the users and the visitors had the liberty of expressing information that is not suitable for the mass (Figliola, 2010). Internet Not an Ally of Liberation Although there are several evidences that the internet is an ally of liberation, there are also certain facts, which suggests internet not as an ally of liberation. These facts include the one of the main aspect that is the copyright. The copyright to certain content restricts the visitor to view or express anything in the web page. However, the visitor might be accessible to the information if the visitor has the authority to access. Moreover, the information that is provided in the source cannot be modified, restricting the liberty of the user. This makes the web page to provide authentic information and most importantly not a distasteful message to the mass. This evidence proves that the internet cannot be regarded to promote liberty for users (Reed, 2004). Another aspect supporting the statement that internet do not ally with the liberation is closely related to privacy of the internet sources. The internet sources provide privacy to its contents which can be associated with restriction of liberty for users. The user has the access to categorize the privacy of the source through navigation and changes in the settings. The user makes the privacy settings accordingly in order of his/her choice and hence, restrict the visitor to explore information from the source at his/her will (Bernal, 2014). The evidence forbidding the access to certain web pages also reflects that although the web pages had earlier provided liberty to the user and the visitor, but at present it does not provide any sort of liberty. This is a very strong argument against the liberty of the internet user (Bernal, 2014). Critical Evaluation There are certain aspects upon which it can be stated that the internet is an ally of liberation. However, there is also some contradicting aspect suggesting that internet not to be an ally of liberation. With regards to the ally of liberation, there are certain aspects that strongly support the statement. One of such is the social media networking sites, where the individuals have the liberty to provide any information to its pages. The user also can avail any information from the website that may be harmful for the mass. In this regard, the liberty of offered by the internet is highly used by the terrorists in order to deliver their adverse interest. Moreover, the liberty of information is also evident from the fact of certain communal riots in the world. This can be attributed to liberty of the user of the internet to provide any information that may be objectionable to the other community members. Besides, there are also certain evidences of the liberty of information from the internet. This includes the certain websites that offer unrestricted access of information as well as sharing of the same. Although in certain countries rigid policies can be seen to be in place, but still the liberty to those contents in the mass is still prevailing in the society. However, the positive side of the liberty of using internet is unquestionable. The investigation department in several countries of the world has the access to gather information regarding the several crimes and scams. This has led to the identification of scams and malpractices carried out by people in different social and business domain. It is evident that several movements of the world, wherein the liberty of the internet users have undesirably hamper the social moral. More evidence can be gained from the several governments imposing ban on accessing, retrieving, and disseminating certain information over the internet. On the contrary, there are also certain evidences arguing against the statement that the internet is an ally with liberation. In this regard, the evidences that strongly supports the statement closely relates to the introduction of copyright in several pages of the internet which places the restriction on the liberty of the user of the certain particular web page or content. Moreover, certain webpage have the privacy settings that restrict visitors to gain the confidential information. The user also has the access to navigate across webpage accordingly, so that the liberty of the visitor to avail information from the source can be hindered (Smith, 2007). Conclusion With respect to the argument pertaining to the liberty of the internet users and the visitors, several evidences have been determined supporting the contention, “the Internet an ally of liberation”. Nevertheless, there are certain restrictions placed by the government that can be related to contradict with the aforesaid contention. Accordingly, the implementation of the copyright policy and the privacy setting can be viewed to preclude the liberty of internet users. Thus, considering the arguments in favour and against the contention, “the Internet an ally of liberation”, it can be concluded that in the era of digitalisation the internet is an ally of liberation References Abbate, J. (2000). Inventing the internet. The United States: MIT Press. Bernal, P. (2014). Internet privacy rights: rights to protect autonomy. The United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. Figliola, P. M. (2010). U. S. initiatives to promote global internet freedom: issues, policy, and technology. The United States: DIANE Publishing. Fuchs, C. (2013). Social media: a critical introduction. New York: SAGE. Green, L. (2010). The internet: an introduction to new media. New York: Berg. Olsher, S. (2012). Internet prophets: the worlds leading experts reveal how to profit online. New York: Morgan James Publishing. Reed, C. (2004). Internet law: text and materials. The United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. Smith, G. J. H. (2007). Internet law and regulation. London: Sweet & Maxwell. Trottier, D. & Fuchs, C. (2014). Social media, politics and the state: protests, revolutions, riots, crime and policing in the age of facebook, twitter and youtube. The United Kingdom: Routledge. Wensink, W. & Vet, J. M. D. (2013). Identifying and reducing corruption in public procurement in the EU. PWC, 1-371 Read More