Society especially the young kids have become dependent on the internet to express themselves and their thoughts. So what if the freedom to express oneself through the internet was taken away? It can come as a way for internet censorship. It means that what is being published and viewed can be regulated and control or suppressed. Although according to the first amendment in the constitution whereas the citizens of united states, we have freedom of speech. If censorship was enacted, it would be a violation of our right and personal freedom. It will prevent individuals from accessing freedom of expression.
The Internet is a form of communication between towns, cities and the world that has revolutionized over time. Internet first emerged in the 1970s, but it wasn’t until 1990s did it become visible to the public in US (Dennis, Kahn; 2019). By 2015, approximately 3.2 billion people, or nearly half of the world’s population, were estimated to have access to the Internet (Dennis, Kahn; 2019). Through the internet, the public has become more active in political matters by posting online about blogs. North Korea, China, and eight other countries practice heavily internet censorship. Less than 5% of North Koreans have any kind of Internet access at all, and those who can get online access are always monitored (Kilpatrick, 2018). Some of the countries have the strictest regulations to restrict information for the public.
The Chinese government has the ‘great firewall of China’ which blocks access to some websites (Dennis, Kahn; 2019). They monitor others sites by making the public provide their national identification number in order to access the Internet in cafes (Dennis, Kahn; 2019). The people who violate the regulations are punished severely. Is that would happen to society in the United States if censorship was enacted? Maybe or maybe not. But the consequences and the extent of censorship would only continue to grow if the law for censorship was approved. The freedom to post on the internet and have access to information anything.
Through the internet, an individual can share their thoughts, views, and opinions with others. Having censorship on the internet will prevent illegal material from being shared, but it doesn’t have to resort to when there are laws that exist to prosecute individuals who commit crimes committed through the internet such as such as pornography. Censorship will only benefit those in power and the politicals because they would be the regulators who decide what is good or bad for the society to see online. Allowing the government that power will take away our own rights. They will decide if it’s acceptable for us to know about the movements or any attacks or threats we are facing, just like how China monitors the public. The supports say that fake information will be restricted but what about the real information?
Real information can be controlled as will based on the supervisor’s morals and values. Censorship can have dramatic economic effects impact at the local level. If a business cannot promote themselves online or sell their goods on an e-commerce platform, then they are placed in a disadvantageous state compared to industry competitors who would be allowed to sell online. The proposition will argue against it because of the safety of what the child can see and how it's not child safe without censorship. Truly, this is the guardian's responsibility, to have control and knowledge about what the child accesses. Social networking can lead to pronochron. The online games can lead to addiction for virtual reality.