The Internet of 10 years back was dominated by static pages that were controlled by publishers. The Internet has advanced to the point where people can now enjoy a more private experience. They are given a lot of unimaginative and boring information. Internet is a place where everyone can freely express themselves. Information is just as quick as social opinion. Internet censorship is now a reality. Individuals and organizations are no longer able to access, view, or publish information on the internet. Internet censorship has a negative impact on individuals and countries. This essay argues that tight censorship has more negatives than positives.
In order to clarify, internet censorship has the goal of preventing or minimizing dissent in an effort to protect existing social systems. Some aspects have poisoned our public discourse, including disinformation, internet violence, and pornography. Information sources online are linked to the concepts of misinformation and deception. In order to discern between questionable web content, viewers must distinguish among different sources of information. Pornographic content is spread on the internet in many different ways, including images, videos, and games. This problem is getting worse. White’s report on 2017 statistics of pornography shows that 30,000 people view porn in a single second. In addition, 40,000,000 US people use the internet for sexual purposes.
Relationship Australian surveyed more women than men in February 2018 and found that online exposure of pornography leads to multiple types harm for young people. Men (29%) are more likely to say that online pornography exposes young people to unrealistic sex expectations, while women (20%) report the same. Both men and women agree (8%) that online pornography exposes young people to risky behavior such as unprotected sexual activity and sex with younger age. Public control is needed to prevent such negative results. Internet violence is usually accompanied by the proliferation of pornographic content. Internet pornography can be used to incite sexual harassment, sexual assault and harassment against internet users. Some criminals prey on men and women that visit online sexual sites. Honorof reports on a new email scam that claims to have the webcam footage and provocative material the victim viewed. They threaten to expose the victims’ friends if they don’t pay in Bitcoin. Cyber violence, such as cyber-bullying, deception and cyber-trespassing also threatens public life.
China has long been known for its strict online censorship system. China’s strict online censorship has been well-known for many years. Survey data shows that Chinese Internet freedom levels are “not free”. Li claims China’s network censorship is the most comprehensive and complex in the entire world. The Internet also plays a part in the Communist Party gaining control of society. Content is becoming more sensitive. China restricts a lot of content on controversial issues, such as homosexuality. Contents that are related to homosexuality, such as scenes, language, or topics are prohibited because they “go against China’s healthy way of living”. Also, words like ‘Taiwan,”religion,’ and human rights’ that have a political connotation are more closely scrutinized. Li argues that it is harder to figure out how Chinese Internet users are able to avoid the strict censorship of the Chinese government when discussing current politics. Therefore, there is not enough information available to the public to be able to debate these sensitive issues.
In a different Internet world, a Chinese new generation is also growing. Currently, the effects of this Internet system are beginning to show. Li argues that many young Chinese do not know what Google or Twitter are. It creates an gulf with the rest of world. Because they are used to using online apps and local services, most people don’t care what’s being censored. The Chinese Communist Party can then build a value system that is competitive with Western liberal democracies. The government controls the censorship, so it can exclude information and statements from opposition authorities. The public is unable to differentiate between the domestic and international situation. Chinese have now renounced their previous censorship and promoted a vision for a government regulated internet. Western Europe as well as the United States advocate for the rights of their citizens. The Investigatory Act 2016 is now law in Britain. The law requires service providers to keep track of all websites. The law also gives the government security services access to computers, tablets and mobile phones of citizens. Jim Killock described the law as the “most draconian surveillance legislation ever passed by a democratic nation” in an interview. The law removes the right of people to privacy online. The state can monitor and analyze the communications of United Kingdom citizens, regardless of suspicions of criminal activities.
The Internet is being censored, which has hampered the free flow information. Some people may fear that the government will have too much power and undermine social democracy. In the meantime, platforms allow authorities to manipulate events. Facebook is one of the most popular social media sites online. It had 2.27 Billion monthly active users by the third-quarter of 2018. A scandal in 2018 shocked the public. Davies revealed Ted Cruz used Cambridge Analytica’s data on Facebook users that was largely gathered without their consent to help his presidential campaign gain an advantage against Donald Trump. Politicians illegally obtain data about the public through certain authorities. This raises concerns over abuse of internet censorship on one side and social democracy on another.
Conclusion: The use of pornographic materials can have serious consequences for individuals, both physically and mentally, particularly in the younger age groups. Internet censorship is intended to prevent pornographic and cyber-violent content. However, its real impact may extend far beyond these rights. As a result of the chaos, Internet censorship is a protective measure.
