The Debate of Internet Fate

To Censor or Not to Censor? That is the Question

Like fire, the internet can be your friend or foe. Availing information that might otherwise have been unattainable, the internet has become a global sensation and has become a popular medium for information and communication purposes. Many government bodies around the world are becoming fearful of the nature of information that is made available and are beginning to clamp down on what we share over the net by filtering the information that is allowed and censoring that which is not.

Many fear that with the implementation of censorship internet freedom is at jeopardy. Those fears might be more of a reality than many realise.  Censoring of internet freedom of speech is approaching at a breakneck speed, and is causing an outrage in the path it is now forging. In 2012, there was a huge outcry among the inhabitants of the cyber world, caused by bills SOPA and PIPA. The purpose being to prevent piracy and the online distribution of counterfeit goods. Critics of this legislation include Google, Facebook, Twitter, Wkipdedia, Yahoo, eBay, LinkedIn, AOL, among others. Google even blacked out their logo for the a while and included a link to the anti-censorship petition.

When internet censorship is mentioned, the first point of reference is often the infamous Great Firewall of China, as they have been very vocal about their limitations and restrictions they have placed on internet use. However, internet censorship legislation already exists in several nations around the world...and the number is still growing! In countries such as China, Japan, USA, South Korea, Australia, the UK, Canada and recently 22 additional members of the European Union have signed the ACTA, which threatens to alter the internet as it has so far existed. With this new agreement, ISP's will be forced to monitor each and every data package being shared over the net and if you are found in violation of ACTA on several accounts, you will either be disconnected from the internet or face criminal charges. This is taken a step further by sending the unauthorized data to the publishers who may then take further action which ranges from penalty fines or criminal charges. Offenses include being in possession of and distributing copyrighted material such as quoting newspaper articles, sharing a video on social media that may contain a copyrighted song, to name a few.

Are these ACTS just acts?

The notion that censorship is merely a concern for the protection of copyrighted material is a well-debated topic. Due to popular belief, many claim that copyright infringement laws are a smokescreen for what the government is really doing. It is said that free governments are afraid of the ease of access of information by any average person and fear that information that contradict government narratives may cause people to question what they are being told to believe and accept. The government is also becoming more vocal about their real concerns, especially in the USA where they desire the same control as China as they feel that internet freedom significantly threatens the government and have been quoted to say "...it may have been better if the internet never existed".

...What are your views?