Censorship of the Internet - Literature review Example

CENSORSHIP OF INTERNET Introduction Internet is a technological miracle that has brought about a huge change in the people’s life. It is regarded tobe a library that has altered the way people used to see and use a library. Previously library was believed to be used by reader or researchers but now even common people access internet. Many of the users are searching the web for the purpose of researching on various items but there is still a lot of demand for the social networking sites too. Though internet is highly enlightening and socially engaging but it can be also used as a medium of notorious activities that can be highly objectionable and harmful for the society. Due to this reason child below the age of twelve has been restricted to use internet. In some cases even adults are also not allowed to browse the World Wide Web unrestrictedly. Thus censorship tools like internet filters are used to restrict the access of public on internet (Duthie, 2010, p. 89). Censorship has been in use for many years. Traditional censorship was associated with the removal or restricting the access to the material related to an idea or information by the governing authority. It is seen as a restriction in which the society restricts itself from what it thinks, says or does. Many societies have censorship and severe punishments are involved on violating the censorship rule. According to Malley, “censorship is polarised along political lines such that political control determines what may or may not be censored; and thus involves the banning of material on political grounds” (Bitso, Fourie & Bothma, n.d., p. 3). The present study focuses on the censorship of internet. Internet Censorship The concept of censorship is quite fluid and difficult to define. Although censorship is seen as “an enduring feature of all human communities” (Duthie, 2010, p. 86) but yet there is some legal and ethical dilemma. It is accepted that the aspect of censorship includes “those actions which significantly restrict free access to information” (Duthie, 2010, p. 86). Despite of the strong anti censorship protest internet has been a target for censorship. The exclusions and filters are clearly regarded to be the violation of restriction of professional codes that avoids censorship. On the other hand none of the literatures or articles does challenge the ideologies that support the concept of censorship and its widespread use. The main concept behind the use of censorship is to endorse into a notion that protects public specially the younger generation from any harm. Michel Gorman stated that sometimes it becomes necessary to make small adjustments by forcing the public from accessing the certain websites available on the internet in order to preserve the good quality of the users. David Wilson has also argued that the nature and prevalence of use of internet has prompted change in the nature of censorship laws. Giving access to the information available on the internet is “a phenomenon qualitatively very different from building a collection” (Duthie, 2010, p. 89). Some of the articles suggested that teenagers are often browses through the internet, in absence of the guidance of any senior and hence falls prey to wrong information like suicide techniques or notions that encourages terrorist attacks. Some of the article suggested that none of the laws or regulations restricting the access to internet can be perfect. Therefore it is pointed that censorship of internet is in terribly need some flexibility. Overall some aspects of modern time censorship are much less controversial than the others (Duthie, 2010, p. 89). Internet filtration can be more obvious in case of information regarding political parties, reforms, minority rights, ethnic contents, women rights, speech, public health and social networking. Affect of Internet There are various advantages of Internet that are getting hampered due to censorship. The internet causes boosting up of social, cultural, educational and commercial status of an individual that in turns lead to the advancement of the country’s economic condition. It removes all the barriers and allows their users to distribute their contents and creation throughout the world. Though it has a resemblance with the traditional ways of communication but internet is a global communication system that does not considers any boundary. Internet is neither owned by any individual nor by the government or any authorizing body. Internet is a medium that enhances the fundamental rights of human being like freedom to speech, expression and values. The survey report shows that access to internet is considered to be the basic human right, which allows individuals to establish the right to expression and speech. It also contributes to the civil act and political consciousness of the country (Global Internet User Survey, 2012). Internet has also brought opportunities to people to communicate with the international audience. This leads to the global shift in communication to empower the individuals. The access to internet is inexpensive and easy, which provides opportunity to publish material readily on the web. Previously flyer and pamphlets were traditionally used for promoting and reach the common mass. Now internet has become the most effective mode of reaching the common mass of people (Bitso, Fourie & Bothma, n.d., pp. 6-7). Censorship Implementation A new United Nations telecommunication treaty has been signed that assures greater regime power over the internet. United States along with 20 other countries have “ratified the accord by the 193-nation International Telecommunications Union” (Internet censorship, restrictions around the globe, 2012). The countries around the globe have increased restriction over the use of internet. North Korea Internet is particularly limited to about 24 million people in North Korea. They are unable to get online. State media can be connected but that also by accessing the internal intranet. Members of the elite society some foreigners and visitors residing in the hotels are allowed to fully access the internet (Internet censorship, restrictions around the globe, 2012). Iran Iran has completely blocked the western social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. It has also blocked the websites containing content on political opposition or sexuality. However proxy server sites and other modes are widely used to get access to the internet. Iran has planned to design their own local internet with the contents being strictly monitored. But international experts are in a doubt whether this complete break from the World Wide Web is going to be beneficial or not. Iran has also planned to develop a video sharing site in its own style somewhat like YouTube (Internet censorship, restrictions around the globe, 2012). China “Great Fire Wall” is the extremely popular censorship system used in China. China have extensive internet filtering capacities. The censor police go through the contents of the social media to search for pornographic and politically subversive content that may be harmful and simultaneously deletes them. The western social networking sites like “Facebook, Twitter, YouTube” and news websites like New York times are heavily blocked. Search for any content related to controversial topics like corruption or “jailed Noble Prize Winner” returns error message. However proxy servers are used to gain access to the internet (Internet censorship, restrictions around the globe, 2012). Cuba Cuba has a very tight control over the internet along with it the connection is extremely slow with high costs involved. Thus access to internet is quite impossible. However some people rely on the government intranet for access, but that also have access to limited contents. People mostly access to web provided by the public facilities and that also by registering with identification (Internet censorship, restrictions around the globe, 2012). Gulf Arab States The state feels threatened by the political sites so they are mostly blocked. In recent times many of the bloggers are arrested due to posting of offensive contents against the ruler and the political reforms going on in the country (Internet censorship, restrictions around the globe, 2012). Central Asia Though there is prevalent censorship across Soviet Central Asian republics but the powerful censorship has been developed by the Iran’s neighbor in the north, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The strictest control is in Turkmenistan where the social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter is not only blocked but also video sharing site like YouTube and numerous other websites. Uzbekistan is not so extreme but still some sites are blocked where contents against government are posted. Tajikistan and all other countries who have rulers or kings to govern the country have blocked the social networking sites where material against the government officials were posted and that have a negative impact on the people over there (Internet censorship, restrictions around the globe, 2012). Eritrea The government restricts access and closely monitors the online communication occurring through the internet. The internet users under the Eritrean government are required to register to any of the three internet service suppliers controlled by the government or run by the “high ranking members of the country’s sole party”. The government even used to monitor emails without issuing any type of warrants (Internet censorship, restrictions around the globe, 2012). Russia In Russia a law came into enforcement that required the state’s monitoring agency Roskomnadzor to maintain a list of categories that are banned in Russia. The category includes “child pornography, instructions or propaganda for drug use, and material promoting suicide”. The law allows sites to be blocked in accordance with the court order: “a vague, potentially wide-ranging clause that has given rise to worries over censorship, given the frequent politicisation of the Russian judicial system” (Internet censorship in Russia Lurk no more, 2012). Current Scenario Internet society is a reliant source of management for “Internet policy, technology standards, and future development” (Global Internet User Survey, 2012). They work constantly to bring simple advancement in technology so that the use of internet grows and evolves into a platform the leads to innovation, social and economic developments all around the world. Internet society design a survey named “The Global Internet User Survey (GIUS)” (Global Internet User Survey, 2012) that was conducted globally to provide relevant and reliable information related to the issue of the future of internet (See Figure 1 in Appendix). The findings of the survey suggested that about 96% of the user accesses internet at least once in a day. 90% of the internet users are more inclined towards the use of social networking site. The survey discovered that two third of the respondents believed that internet plays a vital role in solving global problem like “reducing child mortality (63 percent), improving maternal health (65 percent), eliminating extreme poverty and hunger (61 percent), and preventing the trafficking of women and children (69 percent)” (Global Internet User Survey, 2012). A higher percentage of the respondent strongly believed that global trade and economic associations have also increased due to the use of internet. The quality of education has increased since people are now getting aware of what important reforms are taking place around the world. Emergency response to natural disaster has increased since international relationship is initiated. Majority of the respondents also feels that improvement in the field of science, technology and business has also increased thus increasing the availability of goods and services, allowing new entrepreneurs to open new business across the border. About 98% of the users think that internet is an essential means through which one gain access to knowledge and education. 80% of the respondents think that internet brings a significant effect on the social and cultural life of an individual. Through internet one can easily seek information regarding the most preferred interest area (Global Internet User Survey, 2012). Censorship as a debate Direct censorship by the U.S. congress president is often condemned by the legal scholar stating that it is the violation of human rights and First Amendments. They also do not like the government to use the private parties to form any false belief or propagate any false portraits. Christiane Amanpour of CNN argued that instead of government indulging into censorship, one should practice “self censorship”. Self censorship ensures that the writer of the content himself decides what to write in a sensible way. In US self censorship has worked for the print media and the same thing is believed to work for internet too (Travis, 2011, p. 120). US Ambassador Terry Kramer is using his power to prevent internet censorship in US. He does not want internet to be under the regulations of UN. Proposals for reviewing the content and pricing for the transfer of content is strongly opposed. As per the internet law expert if UN vote to regulate the internet then it may face trouble due to the fact of decentralization of the web (We’re trying to stop the UN from regulating the Internet, Ambassador Kramer says, 2012) Conclusion There are a wide range of literatures and articles that has devoted them to the issue of censorship. The literature witnesses that censorship is a controversial topic and encompasses legal, social, political, profession and ethical issues. Censorship also gives rise to powerful emotions. However there is gap and absence of relevant and effective documentation regarding the perspective and opinion of the internet users. The concerned parents may ensure that their children are browsing the internet in their presence. This will lead to the safeguard of the children’s interest. Nearly everybody starting from official critics to the academicians, politicians and professionals all has raised their voice. Overall it seems that though the concept of censorship is quite controversial and raised ethical dilemmas but internet is regarded as an absolute and perfectly acceptable to all official mandates against censorship. . Appendix Figure 1: Survey detail Source: Global Internet User Survey 2012 REFERENCES Bitso, C., Fourie, I. & Bothma, T. (n. d.). Trends in transition from classical censorship to internet censorship: selected country overview, IFLA, viewed December January 24, 2013 from http://www.ifla.org/files/assets/faife/publications/spotlights/1%20Bitso_Fourie_BothmaTrendsInTransiton.pdf Duthie, F. (2010). Libraries and the Ethics of Censorship. The Australian Library Journal, Vol. 59, No.3, pp. 81-164 Global Internet User Survey. (2012), viewed January 23, 2013 from https://www.internetsociety.org/internet/global-internet-user-survey-2012 Internet censorship, restrictions around the globe. (2012). FoxNews, viewed January 23, 2013 from http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2012/12/14/internet-censorship-restrictions-around-globe/ Internet censorship in Russia Lurk no more. (2012). The Economist, viewed January 23, 2013 from http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2012/11/internet-censorship-russia Travis, H. (2011). Postmodern Censorship Of Pacifist Content On Television And The Internet. Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy, 25, pp. 101-236 We’re trying to stop the UN from regulating the Internet, Ambassador Kramer says, (2012), Fox News, viewed January 23, 2013 from http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2012/12/03/us-ambassador-were-trying-to-stop-un-from-regulating-internet/ Read More