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History and Debate of Internet Censorship

Censorship refers to any action taken by a society to control

access to ideas and information. Throughout history, many

different types of societies, including democracies, have used

censorship in various ways. The issue is increasingly important

due to the rapid development of new communication technology.

As innovators continue to create new ways for people to share

information, many people are now arguing over the issue of

censorship.

Pros and Cons of the Internet Censorship Debate

For the proponents of censorship, restricting the access of

information is something that can provide benefits to society. By

censoring pornography on the internet, children are less likely to

encounter it. By censoring certain types of images and videos,

society can prevent offensive or vulgar material from offending

those that it targets. For example, some would argue that society

should censor material that is insulting to a particular religion in

order to maintain societal harmony. In this way, censorship is

viewed as a way to protect society as a whole or certain

segments of society from material that is seen as offensive or

damaging.

Some argue that censorship is necessary to preserve national

security. Without using any kind of censorship, they argue that it

is impossible to maintain the secrecy of information necessary for

protecting the nation. For this purpose, censorship protects a

state's military or security secrets from its enemies who can use

that information against the state.

Those who are against censorship argue that the practice limits

the freedoms of speech, the press and expression and that these

limitations are ultimately a detriment to society. By preventing free

access to information, it is argued that society is fostering

ignorance in its citizens. Through this ignorance, citizens are

more easily controlled by special interest groups, and groups that

are able to take power are able to use censorship to maintain

themselves. Additionally, they argue that censorship limits a

society's ability to advance in its understanding of the world.

Another main issue for those who are against censorship is a

history of censorship abuse. Those who argue against censorship

can point to a number of examples of dictators who used

censorship to create flattering yet untrue images of themselves

for the purpose of maintaining control over a society. They argue

that people should control the government instead of the

government controlling its people.

(SOURCE: http://www.debate.org/internet-censorship/ accessed

on 19/02/16 at 3:10 pm).

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