Freedom of Expression and Anonymity on the Internet - Essay Example

Freedom of Expression and Anonymity on the Internet The right for freedom of expression has always been among the most discussed and, at the same time, problematic issues in the society. It is so because freedom of speech is what a lot of people have fought for and never gained. These days, freedom for expression seems to be available a greater number of people than ever before. With the rise of the Internet, it has become even more accessible because of anonymity the Internet grants its users with. While the majority of people use anonymity without breaking any rules of conduct, some of them misuse and abuse freedom given to them. Such behavior results in the spread of the notions of cyberbullying and trolling, with the first of them being quite dangerous for the psychological health of the Internet users. With the aim to deal with the problem, many governments make the decision to limit some users’ freedom. However, such actions are the direct encroach on people’s right for expression. Therefore, I believe that the best way to deal with the problem is in hands of the owners of online communities who can moderate what is posted on their websites. Among a range of other values, freedom of speech and expression is, perhaps, one of the most important and cherished not only in the United States but all over the entire world as well. In fact, it is a fundamental human right, which is protected by constitutions of the majority of countries as well as by international organizations. The most important legal documents, which guard freedom of expression are the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the American Convention on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and a great number of others. The European Convention on Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to the freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers”. In the United States, it is the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution which guarantees the freedom of expression one’s beliefs, thoughts, and ideas without restriction. With the advent and spread of the Internet, individuals have obtained a brand new way of realization of the right for freedom of speech and expression. This is so because of the unprecedented potential of the Internet, which is manifested through the availability of an enormous volumes and sources of knowledge and information as well as through the presence of the opportunities to express one’s thoughts without restraint. In addition to this, it is anonymity that makes the Internet almost a perfect place for execution of a person’s right for freedom of speech and expression. For the majority of the Internet users, anonymity is almost a blessing because it gives an opportunity to spread and acquire information without restrictions and using it for their benefits. More specifically, people have an opportunity to discuss personal issues with others without being embarrassed and embarrassing interlocutors; in addition to this, anonymity also allows revealing significantly more personal information about themselves without giving a name. Furthermore, anonymity is the tool which erases such factors as gender, race, age, social status etc. and by this, it makes all people equal and open to conversations. It can also be of a great help for people, who live in countries with a repressive political regime because it allows expressing their disagreement and discontent and let other people know what is actually going on without being persecuted for their points of view. Overall, anonymity helps lower barriers to new relationships, give honest recommendations and judgments, control personal image, avoid criticism and embarrassment, feel comfortable, and protect personal safety and personal information disclosure (Kang, Brown, and Keisler 8). At the same time, anonymity can be very harmful for a significant number of people chooses to use it for offensive and / or disruptive communication, in such forms as cyberbullying and trolling. Cyberbullying is usually defined as “bullying through email, instant messaging, in a chat room, on a website or gaming site, or through digital messages or images sent to a cellular phone. […] it does not only looks and feels a bit different than traditional bullying, but presents some unique challenges in dealing with it” (Thompson, and Smith). Despite the fact that cyberbullying is a relatively new notion, it has reached the seriousness and extent of an epidemic because of the spread of the Internet, and this results in the growth of the number of researches on the issue. Researchers distinguish several types of cyberbullying, such as harassment, denigration, flaming, impersonation, cyber stalking, and outing and trickery. Harassment is sending rude, offensive, malicious messages repetitively. Denigration is the distribution of untrue and derogatory information about another person. Flaming involves correspondences, mostly in chat rooms and in blogs, which allow bullying a person publicly. Impersonation is about stealing a person’s account and sending offensive, rude or embarrassing materials to others. Cyber stalking deals with threatening and intimidating a person through sending him / her messages. Finally, outing and trickery are the forms of cyberbullying which include sharing someone’s personal information and secrets and tricking a person into revealing secrets correspondingly. The problem of the misuse of anonymity which is manifested through cyberbullying as well as its studying and coping with is very important because of its psychological impact on the cyberbullied. Victims of bullying tend to experience anxiety, depression, low self-esteem etc. (Thompson, and Smith). They face the same problems as the bullied in the real life (if not even greater ones) due to the fact that it is impossible to control the spread of information and, more importantly, because bullies remain anonymous, which makes them difficult to stop. In addition to this, anonymity assures bullies that they are safe from consequences; thus, their actions can be even crueler then they could be in the real life. Health problems caused by cyberbullying can be also of psychosomatic nature, which means that the bullied may feel ill, experience stomachaches, headaches, changes in eating habits, and suffer from insomnia and nightmares. Finally, there is also positive correlation between cyberbullying and the risk of suicide, especially, among adolescents. Trolling is one more way people use anonymity with the aim to do harm to others. The word “trolling’ itself is an Internet slang which refers to the process of intentional upsetting other people on the Internet (in chat rooms, on blogs, forums etc.) by means of starting arguments and posting provocative messages. In some way, it is close to such form of cyberbullying as flaming. However, trolling has a broader target audience. What is more, the main task of trolls is to disrupt people, who take part in conversation and discussions, with non-productive and off-topic messages. There are several techniques trolls use to disrupt form: they insult, bully and harass users, post inaccurate facts and off-topic messages. The notion of trolling is not as studied and described as cyberbullying; still, specialists have already defined the main reasons why people use anonymity that the Internet gives them in such a disturbing way. The majority of them is associated with psychological problems trolls experience in life. More specifically, they engage in trolling because they seek recognition and attention, power and experience emotional release when others do pay attention to their posts. In addition to this, they do this because of emotional immaturity and desire to break social conventions by interrupting other people (Hosdick). As it follows from the above-mentioned, trolling is less harmful than cyberbullying. At the same time, it also deserves attention because it disrupts healthy online conversations and exploits anonymity in an improper way. The consequences of the misuse of the right for freedom of speech and expression while being anonymous on the Internet are serious and disturbing. Therefore, the cases of abusing the right for freedom of expression are now paid more attention than ever before. Sometimes, the measures taken by governments transcend the limits of the norm. Among such countries are China, Vietnam, and Russia. For example, in China, the government has passed several rules which control the online life of the Internet users. More specifically, with the aim to stop the spread of rumors and disinformation, the Chinese citizens are now required to register their real names. This means anonymity and all the benefits it gives are being eliminated in China. Practically the same situation takes place in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Russia does not pull up the rear in this issue as well. In particular, the government of this country enacted the law that obliges bloggers register with the mass media regulator, which means they cannot remain anonymous anymore and lose the right to express their ideas and thoughts in a way they want it to do. Furthermore, the law also gives authorities access to the Internet users’ personal information. Apart from this examples, there are also cases when the right for freedom of expression and anonymity it gives were limited in America. The matter is that the majority of courts in the United States stick to the idea that the right for free speech and the right to speak anonymously are not absolute. In 2004, in Polito v. AOL Time Warner, the court held: “The First Amendment is not intended to protect unconditionally all forms of expression. […] Those persons who choose to abuse the opportunities presented by this medium [the Internet] can be made to answer for transgressions” (Arias). Personally, I believe that governments should not interfere into such cases. The matter is that every time they do this, they encroach on one of the main human rights, which is the right for freedom of speech and expression. In other words, they take away the right they themselves have granted. At the same time, the problem of the misuse and abuse of the right for freedom of expression is still on the agenda and should not be ignored, and there are more appropriate ways to deal with it. One of the tools, which can help solve the problem or make it less serious, is in hands of the owners of blogs, forums, chat rooms and social networking websites. More specifically, they are those who can moderate what is posted and in what words the message is delivered. These days, the majority of online communities their personal codes of conduct, in which the rules of proper behavior are mentioned (Teten). This means that in case a user breaks the rule, he / she is banned or his / her post is edited so that it meets the requirements or even deleted. When one decides to log in into that community, they accept the rules; therefore, no suppression or encroachment on the right for freedom of expression takes place. Thus, such a way out appears to be the least harmful and the most suitable because the Internet is a free speech zone that deserves as much protection as the printed media. In this regard, restricting a person’s anonymity and freedom of expression is like taking a newspaper away just from the hands of the reader. The Internet challenges a person’s right for expression. On the one hand, it hives a wide range of opportunities to share and obtain information. At the same time, with the amount of information and the means of its expression, there appears the need for regulation and control because some individuals abuse anonymity given to them by the Internet. These days, some governments enacts laws which regulate and, more importantly, limit people’s access to information on the Internet as well as their right for freedom of expression. Such measures appear to contradict basic human rights and freedoms and, thus, they should be regarded as impropriate; moreover, there are more appropriate ways to deal with the problem without crossing the border of the World Wide Web. Works Cited Arias, M. L. "Internet Law - The Right to Speak Anonymously on the Internet is not Absolute. "Internet Business Law Services. Internet Business Law Services, Inc. Web. 5 Dec 2014. . Fosdick, H. "Why People Troll and How to Stop Them." OS News. OSNews Inc., 25 Jan 2012. Web. 5 Dec 2014. . Kang, R., S. Brown, and S. Keisler. "Why Do People Seek Anonymity on the Internet? Informing Policy and Design." Carnegie Mellon University. Carnegie Mellon University, 27 Apr 2013. Web. 5 Dec 2014. . Teten, D. "Free Speech and Censorship Online Communities." Fast Company. Fast Company & Inc., 18 Apr 2007. Web. 5 Dec 2014. . "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights." UN.org. United Nations. Web. 5 Dec 2014. . Thompson, F., and P. K. Smith. "Research on Cyberbullying: Key findings and practical suggestions." Education.com. Education.com, Inc., 23 Apr 2014. Web. 5 Dec 2014. . Read More