Censorship on the Internet :: essays research papers fc

During the past decade, our society has become based solely on the ability to move large amounts of information across large distances quickly. computerization hasinfluenced everyones life. The natural evolution of computers and this need forultra-fast communications has caused a global interlocking of interconnected computersto develop. This global net renders a person to send netmail across the world in merefractions of a second, and enables even the vernacular person to access informationworld-wide. With advances such as software that allows users with a sound card touse the net income as a flattop for long distance voice calls and video conferencing, thisnetwork is key to the future of the knowledge society. At present, this net is theepitome of the first amendment uncaring speech. It is a place where people can speaktheir mind without being reprimanded for what they say, or how they choose to say it.The key to the world-wide success of the net profit is its security m easures of ingenuous speech, notonly in America, but in other countries where free speech is not protected by aconstitution. To be anchor on the Internet is a huge collection of obscene graphics,Anarchists cookbooks and unnumerable other things that offend some people. With over30 million Internet users in the U.S. alone (only 3 million of which surf the net fromhome), everything is indentured to offend someone. The newest wave of laws floatingthrough law making bodies nigh the world threatens to stifle this area ofspontaneity. Recently, Congress has been considering passing laws that go out desexualize ita crime punishable by jail to send " unprocessed" language over the net, and to export encoding software. No matter how small, each attempt at government interventionin the Internet will stifle the greatest communication innovation of this century. Thegovernment wants to maintain insure over this new form of communication, andthey are trying to use the protection o f children as a smoke screen to pass laws thatwill allow them to regulate and censor the Internet, while banning techniques thatcould eliminate the need for regulation. censorship of the Internet threatens todestroy its freelance atmosphere, while wide spread encryption could help preventthe need for government intervention.The current body of laws alert today in America does not apply well to theInternet. Is the Internet like a bookstore, where servers cannot be expected toreview every name? Is it like a phone company who must ignore what it carriesbecause of screen? Is it like a broadcasting medium, where the government