Essay Example on Internet Censorship The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer

Internet Censorship The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that blurs borders between countries and brings the world closer together The Internet in certain countries like China Saudi Arabia and North Korea are heavily monitored and censored If the government would try to censor the Internet more in the United States that would be a violation of our country's first constitutional right which is the freedom of speech for all of our citizens The Internet is also the way most people stay updated with news and political events throughout our country and the government being able to censor and control what is posted to it would be a form of State owned media and hinder our countries freedom Thomas Emerson once stated Those who seek to impose limitation on expression do so ordinarily in order to forestall some anticipated effect of expression in causing or influencing other conduct 1 What Emerson is trying to convey in this quote is that censorship from the government would be an attempt to stop certain types of speech or action from its Constituents It would be the government telling us what kind of thoughts or actions are acceptable from its citizens and what s politically correct or incorrect which would limit individualism in our society Once you start controlling what people read or view you are limiting people ideas and their capacity to think for themselves As a U S Citizen the First Amendment grants you the right to be able to be free from any organization s control that would hinder thoughts ideas and free expression of yourself 

2 Keeping the Internet uncensored is mandatory to keep our freedom speech alive considering the Internet is the biggest platform for individuals to speak their thoughts and what s on their mind When H M s controversial news story about their racist hoodie broke out most people did not go to newspapers radio or television to express their outrage however the majority of people went to social media websites like Twitter Facebook and YouTube comments to display their disappointment and outrage with the company and its shortcomings The Internet s the most powerful tools to express ideas and opinions this is why most companies hire Social Media Managers to keep public opinions of them high and not spark any mass outrage A free internet helps connect like minded people together and express their opinions to spark change in our society and there should be no limits placed on that Having an Internet that is heavily monitored and censored by the government would be huge detriment to our public freedom Consider the article The YouTube Effect in which it talks about a video of Uniformed Chinese Soldiers are firing at and killing unarmed Tibetan refugees China claimed that these refugees were killed by their soldiers in an act of self defense when seventy refugees attacked them However in a video that was posted and shared on YouTube it shows a different view point where the refugees were lined up unarmed and they were being executed one after the other The website YouTube is banned in China and its citizens are not allowed to view it which would mean that they would no reason to doubt their government about their reason for the death of the refugees This kind of censorship gives us an example of a government controlling mass communication between its citizens and being able to control the narrative on any news stories that may develop When a news story is biased and only gives half truths it limits our ability to think for ourselves and form our own opinions which limits our freedom as a country 

The Internet is a technological masterpiece and part of its greatness is the ability for everyone being able to participate in it without fear of their thoughts and expression to be censored If the Internet was more censored it would infringe our constitutional right to free speech It would also hinder our democracy and financial freedom which is the two of the most important things America was built on and fought for Works Cited 1 Leatherman Brian Internet Censorship and the Freedom of Speech Internet Censorship and the Freedom of Speech 19 Dec 1999 www szasz com undergraduate leathermanpaper htm 2 Naim Moises The YouTube Effect Foreign Policy 14 Oct 2009 foreignpolicy com 2009 10 14 the youtube effect 3 Djankov Simeon et al WHO OWNS THE MEDIA Harvard Dec 2003 scholar harvard edu files shleifer files media pdf