Censorship of the Internet - Report Example

Censorship of the internet Student’s Name: University Affiliation: Censorship of the Internet Introduction Censorship of the internet can be defined as a process by which the internet is controlled and what people can view, access or publish is limited and restrained. Internet censoring is in most instances carried out by the government, regulators, or private organizations upon the command of the government. Individuals can also censor their internet for their own personal gain and reasons. This could be for business protection, their values and beliefs, their morals, their spiritual and religious reasons, for fear of facing legal impacts. How one country or state censors its internet is varied to how another country censors its internet (Qazi, 1996, pp. 6). Some states censor and limit all the information the internet can provide including the news that the citizens are entitled to. The internet can be said to be one of the largest communication platforms that was ever invented. This is because almost all forms of communication are passed through it from news, political information, social information, religious information, general information. It is from the internet that anybody can put anything and maybe get away with it. The internet is a very essential platform that was invented to exercise the freedom of individuals and openness to connect with others and interact freely with other internet users. It is through the kinds of information being shared that most states see the need of censoring their internet. Through the different kinds of information being shared on the internet, most governments and states find it challenging to know how much information is enough and to what extent they need to regulate online content. Governments also find it difficult to determine who the vulnerable members that would be affected are and also to what extent they should define and classify what is desirable and what is not. Most states censor the internet due to certain types of events for instance, riots, elections or anything political in nature that can harm or trigger political issues. The internet is also censored so as to prevent any material that could be defamatory, copyright materials, material that could be obscene or any material that could be viewed and taken as harassment to another. History of censorship of the internet in Australia Australia like any other country in the world has tried to find ways of regulating the activities and information that is being shared on the internet. By censorship of the internet, information that people tend to get is very limited. Internet censorship is not a situation that started recently. It started when technology was still new and everyone was eager about what information could be shared and by which means. The regulating and controlling of online content in Australia was started in 1917 whereby the Customs Regulations prohibited films that were not permitted by the Commonwealth Board of Censors. The censorship laws were gradually replaced in 1960s with a system that categorized materials in terms of age and to suitable groups of people. In Australia, the censorship of the internet is regulated under the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The Australian Communications and Media Authority are mandated to ensure that the content restrictions hosted within Australia is enforced fully and that the black-list of overseas websites is maintained. It is also used to ensure that the filtering software is provided. Though the Australian states have the role of ensuring that the online content should be regulated, they have not exactly concurred on what extent of the regulation is safe enough not to override the individual choice. In Australia, the content restriction is mainly on the content of child pornography, sexual violence and any other materials that is illegal in nature. Since 2008, policies about internet censorship have been brought forward. Some of the policies have not been implemented while some have. Some of the policies are the OpenNet Initiative which could not test the filtering of child pornography. A filtering scheme was also proposed and its purpose was to filter overseas websites and in turn refuse classification. Mandatory filtering through internet service provider and through optional filtering is one of the ways that the Australian governments seeks to regulate the internet and the sharing of the online content. The amount and degree of what should be filtered in Australia is what raises contention as it is not clearly shown what amount and degree of online content should be filtered and mandated. Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) though have the power to prohibit online content it has no mandate to prevent and ban online content that is hosted outside Australia. It can only notify the Australian Police especially if the content is considered to be of serious nature. The Australian Communications and Media Authority also has the power of informing the URLs about its prohibited content and the URLs are then required to ensure that the materials being sent to the Australian websites are filtered through the filter software products before they are offered to the Australian citizens. Types of internet filters There are several types of internet filters that are used for censorship of the internet. They include the blacklist or exclusion filters, keyboard or content filters and the white list or inclusion filters. The keyboard or content filters are used to ensure that websites are scanned and they ensure that words, phrases or images that have been considered restricted are blocked and denied access. The white list or inclusion filters are used to allow only a certain type of sites which are considered to be good and deny access to websites that are not considered good. The white list filters taken to be the most restrictive in terms of blocking. The white list or the inclusion filter tends to block all online content irrespective of whether the content is acceptable or not. This type of filter was generally made to regulate the content that young children watched and received. The black list filters or exclusion filters are the most used filter software. Through the blacklist filters, a website that helps in keeping track of the content with prohibited words and content is added to the black list. The website prohibits and denies a user any access to addresses and any kind of information that has been listed in the black list. The blacklist filters have one weakness which is that they in most instances tend to allow online content that is are already prohibited Reasons and advantages for internet censorship and mandatory filtering The mandatory filtering in Australia was launched due to the failure of NetAlert filter package which proved to be faulty and easily hack able by youngsters. By its defects, the mandatory filtering was proposed. Internet censorship has got the good and bad effects. Just like anything that has disadvantages, has advantages so does the internet censoring. Some of its advantage include; the ability to preserve and restore national security. Censorship is vital in promoting and restoring national security through the censoring websites that promote and teach on matters of crime and terrorism will be blocked and prevented. By blocking such sites and websites, the internet will be clean and terrorism will be reduced. Censorship of the internet will reduce and limit the accessibility of adult content from the younger generation. The mandatory filtering in Australia will ensure that not just adult content and child pornography is blocked and filtered; it will ensure that any RC rated materials like banned books, banned films, and banned video games are filtered and easily accessible. By using mandatory filtering, the web filter in Australia ensures that access to political sensitive issues which promote criminality is blocked. This helps in restoring and promoting a peaceful environment that is not prone to fear to all citizens. The web filter also ensures that matters that have changing criminality statuses like euthanasia and abortion are prevented and blocked. Internet censoring would be advantageous because through it online theft would be prevented. By preventing online theft people will feel safe and secure when using the internet. Internet censoring will also reduce the issue of cyber crimes as most of the information being shared is heavily regulated. Internet censoring will reduce criminal activities that occur on the internet like illegally downloading online music, video and content that is not appropriate. Disadvantages of the mandatory filtering and internet censoring Though the mandatory filtering is good, it has its ups and downs some of which are that; the web filtering is very easy to be bypassed by any proxy server in the internet. It is not that strong to withstand and prevent proxy servers from hacking it. The mandatory filtering through the web filter is considered unconstitutional and a violation of individual’s rights. By censoring of the internet, a person’s constitutional right of free speech is violated. In instances where a website is shut down by a state, or even required to change its content, a webmaster’s rights become violated by the censorship (Poland, 2009). Censoring of the internet is not democratic because through it, the government is given the power to control and manipulate the kind of information that citizens receive. Censorship prevents and limits one’s ability to be educated in all aspects of life. It prevents one to self educate themselves on matters that are controversial in nature by limiting one to access such materials that can self educate them. It limits an individual’s access to information. It also limits an individual’s right to access and gain knowledge. Censoring of the internet widens the social gaps that the invention of internet technology sought to reduce. Internet technology sought to bring a common ground for all races and cultures of people. It sought to ensure that all people could share their intellectual and ideologies by interacting through the internet, sharing their cultures and even identifying with each other’s similarities and differences (Poland, 2009). Censoring of the internet prevents people from appreciating the culture of others hence destroying the main objective of the internet. Censoring of the internet destroys business relations and business grounds which in turn affects businesses negatively. Business at the international level is destroyed as the platforms will not be easily accessed by all targeted customers. Competition between business owners is also discouraged as individuals are not able to access best business websites for several services and supplies. Countries that censor their internet How each country censors its internet is different from how another country censors its. Censoring of internet contents ranges from each government and it takes several forms. The main items and matters that have been censored are pornographic content, dissemination of people’s political opinions, and pirate websites (Zuchora, 2010, pp.48). Internet filtering around the world in most countries is investigated by the OpenNet Initiative. This initiative seeks to regulate and filter online content around the world. It mainly targets pornographic content and has since ventured into filtering security related content and also political content. For the OpenNet Initiative to filter content it follows four filtering categories. It filters political content that tends to oppose the current government or the policies it seeks to implement. Political content may also include religious movements, rights of the minority and human rights. It also filters social content that is considered to be unpleasant and offensive by the general public (Deva, 2007, pp. 24). Some of the social contents the Initiative filters include sexuality content, contents that deal with illegal drugs and gambling among others. The OpenNet Initiative also filters contents that relate to conflict in the country or the security of the country, such content may include armed conflicts, border disputes, separatist movement and contents relating to militant groups. The Initiative also seeks to block and filter content and tools that enable internet users circumvent and escape the filtering procedures. Research shows that countries like China, Iran and Cuba are considered to the extreme and pervasive in terms of censoring of their internet. Internet censoring and filtering in Iran is taken to highly unswerving. All members and citizens Iran including the president is not immune to the blacklist and filtering. Most news sites in Iran have been blocked by censors and a proposal for a national internet has been put in place. Iran as a country aims to ensure that the government has a grip over individual connections and also in turn prevent and ban foreign users from contacting the Iranian websites. Iran has further to ensure that individuals surrender their personal details before accessing and using a cyber café. China is also a country that has strictly regulated and censored its internet. In China, internet users are prohibited from using any foreign websites. The increased level of censoring the internet is mainly due to the political motivation. Study shows that the Chinese government has put up an intricate system that controls the web and any information that is being accessed. Apart from the intricate system, the Chinese government has also employed individuals who are mandated to remove any online content that is taken to be unfit (Hvistendahl, 2014 pp.4). Lack of adhering to the censorship of the internet in China has a penalty hence users aim to ensure that they take self regulation to avoid facing the consequences. The Chinese government uses the Great Firewall of China or also referred to as the Golden Shield Project to ensure that the distribution of sensitive information is restricted. Not all information in China is censored, only information that is likely to harm or cause destruction to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Any speech that is taken as giving praise to the Chinese Communist Party is allowed to be seen on the internet. All forms of speech in China is regulated and maintained by the Chinese government. Another country that has censored the internet is India. India has an IT Act that came into force in 2000. The Act is also supplemented by the new IT Rules that were adopted in 2011. From the IT Act and IT Rules, it was provided that any objectionable content and intermediaries were to be removed from the internet within 36 hours after the complaint was received. Though India has been rated among the partially free censors of the internet, research shows that it is increasing its efforts of ensuring that surveillance of the internet is met. North Korea is also taken to be an authoritarian country which is also influenced by the communist regime. It has a high level of internet censorship. In North Korea all social networks and social sites and media are government controlled. Ninety six percent of the citizens in North Korea cannot access the internet and only four percent can access it. Most countries that seek to enforce the blocking and censoring of the internet tend to target mainly the social media. Social media is the highly targeted due to it encouraging members and individuals to air out their opinions, discussions and any transfer of information. Research shows that most countries have blocked and prohibited all social media sites including face book, twitter and even you tube and any other site that tends to encourage discussions and opinions of people (Zuchora, 2010, pp 55). Apart of political issues, most countries with a religious society that is very strict also tend to censor their internet. Several countries enjoy and embrace internet neutrality. Brazil for instance bans the blocking, filtering, prohibiting or even analyzing of online content by any online provider like the Internet Service Providers (ISPs). By prohibiting the censorship of the internet, the Brazilian country encourages the contribution of people and its citizens to a free and open market. The Brazilian Government seeks to pass an Internet Constitution that provides for both consumers and business friendly policies. Effects of internet censorship Internet censorship affects everyone in a country. This is because all opinions, suggestions and any information of any nature become prohibited and regulated as to what extent it should be provided and put on the internet. Censorship affects an individual in that they cannot know what is really happening around them, in their country or even other counties as all information are barred from reaching them. Censorship can be said to be a tool that suppresses many individuals in a state including the ethnic minority groups, the human rights activists, the journalists, supporters of human rights and even foreign and independent media. Countries should find ways of doing businesses globally so as to prevent the issue of failing markets and fear of losing investors and in turn being faced with losses. Doing business globally and online will promote the economy. Censorship of the internet does not only hinder the people in that country, it also hinders and hurts those that do not belong to that country. This is seen in instances where the Chinese government blocks and prohibits companies from the United States and the United States does not counter block, it causes trade barriers between the two countries. Internet freedom is mainly strong in countries where the online population percentage is large. The younger generation persons are the ones likely to take internet freedom as one of their highest priority. Conclusion Censorship of the internet beats the aspect of democracy and transparency. This affects people in a country as they do not have the right to want to express their opinions, or access information helpful to them for fear of being reprimanded or facing retribution. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights under Article 19 provides that, everyone is entitled to a right and freedom of opinion and expression; which is not allowed when the internet is censored. Though internet censorship is good as it prevents the spread of information that is considered as not appropriate and not helpful it is also not good for the individual who wishes to exercise their freedoms and rights of expression and opinion. References Deva, S. (2007) Corporate Complicity in Internet Censorship: Who cares for the Global Compact or the Global Online Freedom Act? George Washington International Law Review, 5, 12-26. Hvistendahl, M. (2014, August 21.) Study of internet censorship reveals the deepest fears of China government. Daily News, pp. 4. Poland, A. (2009.) ‘The Disadvantages of Internet Censorship’ Demand Media. 21 May 2015 . Qazi, U. (1996.) ‘The Internet Censorship Controversy’ Houston: Texas. Zuchora, C. W. (2010.) Internet Censorship: Protecting Citizens or Trampling Freedom? Minneapolis: U.S.A. Print. Read More

In Australia, the censorship of the internet is regulated under the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The Australian Communications and Media Authority are mandated to ensure that the content restrictions hosted within Australia is enforced fully and that the black-list of overseas websites is maintained. It is also used to ensure that the filtering software is provided. Though the Australian states have the role of ensuring that the online content should be regulated, they have not exactly concurred on what extent of the regulation is safe enough not to override the individual choice.

In Australia, the content restriction is mainly on the content of child pornography, sexual violence and any other materials that is illegal in nature. Since 2008, policies about internet censorship have been brought forward. Some of the policies have not been implemented while some have. Some of the policies are the OpenNet Initiative which could not test the filtering of child pornography. A filtering scheme was also proposed and its purpose was to filter overseas websites and in turn refuse classification.

Mandatory filtering through internet service provider and through optional filtering is one of the ways that the Australian governments seeks to regulate the internet and the sharing of the online content. The amount and degree of what should be filtered in Australia is what raises contention as it is not clearly shown what amount and degree of online content should be filtered and mandated. Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) though have the power to prohibit online content it has no mandate to prevent and ban online content that is hosted outside Australia.

It can only notify the Australian Police especially if the content is considered to be of serious nature. The Australian Communications and Media Authority also has the power of informing the URLs about its prohibited content and the URLs are then required to ensure that the materials being sent to the Australian websites are filtered through the filter software products before they are offered to the Australian citizens. Types of internet filters There are several types of internet filters that are used for censorship of the internet.

They include the blacklist or exclusion filters, keyboard or content filters and the white list or inclusion filters. The keyboard or content filters are used to ensure that websites are scanned and they ensure that words, phrases or images that have been considered restricted are blocked and denied access. The white list or inclusion filters are used to allow only a certain type of sites which are considered to be good and deny access to websites that are not considered good. The white list filters taken to be the most restrictive in terms of blocking.

The white list or the inclusion filter tends to block all online content irrespective of whether the content is acceptable or not. This type of filter was generally made to regulate the content that young children watched and received. The black list filters or exclusion filters are the most used filter software. Through the blacklist filters, a website that helps in keeping track of the content with prohibited words and content is added to the black list. The website prohibits and denies a user any access to addresses and any kind of information that has been listed in the black list.

The blacklist filters have one weakness which is that they in most instances tend to allow online content that is are already prohibited Reasons and advantages for internet censorship and mandatory filtering The mandatory filtering in Australia was launched due to the failure of NetAlert filter package which proved to be faulty and easily hack able by youngsters. By its defects, the mandatory filtering was proposed. Internet censorship has got the good and bad effects. Just like anything that has disadvantages, has advantages so does the internet censoring.

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