Internet Censorship Today
Censoring the Internet and Blocking Websites for Better or for Worse
Oct 31, 2009
The argument has been made for internet censorship; it is protection. Protecting children from questionable material, protecting society from unacceptable content, and protecting national security — censoring the internet is even done out of respect of intellectual property rights. All of these cases have some legitimacy, but also, they have the potential to be abused. In practice, blocking websites and filtering information in the name of protection translates into a massive infringement of freedom of speech and free access to information.
Types of Internet Censorship
Internet censorship comes in many forms. It is as simple as a parent using an internet content filter to prevent their child from viewing certain websites, such as pornographic material, chat rooms, and subversive content. Companies often censor the internet, again using a type of internet filter, mostly to stop their employees from browsing the web instead of being productive.
In some countries, censoring the internet is done on a national level. In a more liberal nation, such as the United States, blocking websites is only done in public schools and public libraries. In other more authoritarian countries such as China and North Korea, internet censorship takes on a whole new meaning, as any and all content is filtered out that could in anyway contradict the beliefs of the government. According to the anti-censorship organization, OpenNet Initiative, this includes information on human rights and religious movements.
For parental, business, and national website blocking, an internet content filter or other filtering technology is often used. Other methods for censoring the internet include removing search engine results so they are either impossible to find, or extremely difficult to find. This happens when a company which runs a search engine complies with government requests or laws. Take-downs are often done, even in the United States. With a cease and desist letter or other formal request, one party will demand that content be removed because it is inappropriate, or could be deemed illegal because of copyright infringement laws. Whether it is a case of copyright infringement or fair use is often irrelevant because of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which allows a claimant to demand content to taken down immediately, without proof of infringement.
Problems with Censoring the Internet and Blocking Websites
What is wrong with internet censorship if it protects young children from viewing adult material, if it blocks websites with hateful or dangerous language? Censoring the internet might be acceptable to the majority of society if this were all that it did, but trying to control the web, an entity with seemingly infinite pieces of information, cannot be done. As a result, more information is filtered, taken down, or intentionally lost to ensure that what may be a problem is blocked. For example, the anti-censorship group Peacefire, found that a commonly used parental internet content filter not only blocked adult material, but also valuable information sources such as Mother Jones, an independent magazine, and the website for N.O.W., the National Organization for Woman.
Even if internet filters were sophisticated enough to only block the most offensive content, many people would still argue against forced internet censorship, especially in the case of national internet censorship. When governments restrict access to information, they are greatly limiting the pool of knowledge available to their public. While authoritarian regimes may practice strict censorship rules, once a more liberal government censors even a small amount of the internet, the door becomes open for more and more restrictions, eventually robbing people of their right to truth, awareness, and knowledge, if they are interested in seeking it.
Anti-Censorship Organizations Which Track Internet Censorship
There are several anti-censorship groups, generally non-profit organizations, which make it their central focus, or at least a part of their purpose, to monitor internet censorship and provide the public with their research.
- Electronic Frontier Foundation — Also known as the EFF, this non-profit organization was founded in 1990 to defend 'free speech, privacy, innovation, and consumer rights' in the digital world. They post information about internet censorship laws and practices, primarily in the United States, and provide access to material that has been taken off the web.
- OpenNet Initiative — This organization focuses on censorship as well as surveillance policies on an international level. They monitor the internet censorship policies in the most authoritarian countries, as well as in liberal nations, and provide current news on the subject.
- Peacefire — Also started in 1990, this group is more focused on free speech and information issues for children in the United States. They monitor and test internet content filters and post information on how to subvert web filters.
Whether internet censorship is a problem or not, depends on how much information people are aware that they are missing. The work of anti-censorship organizations and general public awareness will help to keep the pathways of information free for all.
Sources:
"'Hall of Shame' Calls Out Bogus Internet Censorship: New Website Highlights Outrageous Attempts to Take Down Content" (7Space Interactive, October 29,2009). <http://7thspace.com/headlines/323924/hall_of_shame_calls_out_bogus_internet_censorship.html>
"Overview of Internet Censorship" (OpenNet Initiative) <http://opennet.net/>
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