Freedom of Expression of Communication and Publication via the Internet in the UK - Essay Example

In a democratic society such as United Kingdom, what limits should be set by law on the freedom of expression of communication and publication via the internet? There was once a Spiderman cliché that reads this way, “With freedom comes great responsibility.” To what extent do we really set the parameters between freedom and responsibility? Specifically, who holds the power to set these limits? Where do we draw the line between what is appropriate and what is beyond discretion? History has taught us valuable lessons on the danger of giving too much power on either end of the pole. The very nature of the checks and balances in our democratic system should have minimized this catastrophe of epic proportions. Still, we wonder at the real enormity of freedom granted to the people that have been tempered by the government’s implementation of rules and regulations which effectively shrank the people’s rights. A closer look on lobbying for the public’s freedom has on the other hand, generated so much confusion. This is probably because the people do not really have a cohesive stand on issues concerning rights, privileges, limitations and violations. So now, after lapping in the comforts of the information age for years, we come at another crucial but definitely interesting point of contention. What limits should be set by law on the freedom of expression of communication and publication via the internet? Should there even be limits? Resoundingly, yes. We need to highlight on censorship not only of indecent materials via the internet but also of other forms of psychological abuse towards humanity. This is due to the fact that news reports have illustrated examples of alarming crimes directly or vicariously connected from having accessed materials published virtually. If it has spawned criminal behavior, of that we need empirical evidence but the truth remains that misbehaviors have been learned and continuously so, through the web. We draw the line at child and explicit adult pornography. We draw the line at extreme graphic violence and psychologically damaging elements. We draw the line at unlimited access particularly for children of sites that are too exploitative or too destructive to the over-all well-being and dignity of each person. Restrictions are primordially important since we have struggled to espouse special protection for women and children from the laws that have been enacted. Yet, from the sites available on the internet alone, we see horrendous and crippling images of the marginalized members of the society that we have sworn to protect. Furthermore, numerous libelous statements have genuinely defamed entities because of lack or inconsistent interpretation of statutes concerning media publications. Even those involved in the publications are getting confused because of the blur in media regulations. Just like in any universal criminal system, both the petitioner and the respondent deserve equal chances in the courts of law. This is to encourage responsible journalism via the web but with the protection of either party clearly established. The next question then is, “how can we realistically enforce these limits given the magnitude of cyber data that is being generated each day for every millisecond that the Big Ben ticks?” This is where the concerted efforts of sectors in society come into play. The internet is indeed a vast seemingly limitless space, controls of which are exceedingly difficult to wield. And it gets more difficult with every passage of time should measures to effectively put some decent boundaries to it are the call of the day. First, focus should primarily be on definitions. For it to be a strictly enforceable law, clear cut scopes and limitations are imperative in its formulation. This process alone could drag on and on given the clashing opinions of stakeholders on this issue. Another crucial factor would be the identification of government and non-government agencies which can better set and enforce the restrictions as defined by law. We applaud the efforts of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety to give due security and to police the web from destructive elements. We strongly urge other sectors of the society including other nations to put up safeguards as well, in order to collaboratively take a proactive stance on this situation. Since internet is like holding the world at the palm of our hands, countries all over the world are equally liable to enact laws to restore balance to the power granted to web-users. Despite criticisms that this may limit the freedom of expression via the internet, we have to weigh the corresponding consequences and provide parameters that would not impinge on the natural rights of the human populace. An even more proactive position would be to set-up a research facility that would validate findings that indeed these particular expressions of communication and publications via the internet are statistically detrimental to the society. Studies and researches can lend credence to alleged violations and can pave the way for better imposition of just sanctions. This academic body should be independent of the government and can be a venue for all stakeholders to properly validate their claims. In the end though, we come to the reality that we have been caught unprepared for the enormity of responsibilities entailed in media communication via the internet. As a member of a democratic society, we must take a moral stand on the issue which adversely and also positively affects our daily life. We are enjoying the wondrous benefit of easy access to information but we need to be guardians of the medium that we utilize. It is imperative for the government and its people to carefully evaluate and implement programs that can mediate between freedom and responsibility. Internet is our window to the world. We therefore need to ensure that this window offers us a view that can enliven our spirits as we gaze upon it, a window that can enhance our productivity and efficiency, a window that can lead us to a better perspective in preparing for more challenges in the future. And if it does not, the answer is still in the palm of our hands. We can use blinds. We can open another window. Or we can close it temporarily for repair. Read More