Censorship on the Internet :: essays research papers fc

During the past decade, our society has become based solo on the ability to move bounteous amounts of information across large distances quickly. Computerization hasinfluenced eachones life. The natural evolution of computers and this look at forultra-fast communications has ca usaged a international lucrework of interconnected computersto develop. This global net allows a person to lance E-mail across the world in merefractions of a second, and enables level(p) the common person to access informationworld-wide. With advances such as bundle that allows users with a sound card touse the meshing as a carrier for long distance voice calls and video conferencing, thisnetwork is diagnose to the future of the knowledge society. At present, this net is theepitome of the first amendment issue speech. It is a place where people can speaktheir mind without organism reprimanded for what they say, or how they choose to say it.The key to the world-wide success of the Internet is its breastplate of free speech, notonly in America, but in former(a) countries where free speech is not protected by aconstitution. To be found on the Internet is a huge collection of dingy graphics,Anarchists cookbooks and countless other things that offend some people. With over30 billion Internet users in the U.S. alone (only 3 million of which surf the net fromhome), everything is bound to offend someone. The newest wave of laws floatingthrough law do bodies around the world threatens to stifle this area ofspontaneity. Recently, Congress has been considering passing laws that exit make ita crime punishable by jail to transmit "vulgar" language over the net, and to exportencryption software. No payoff how small, any attempt at government interventionin the Internet will stifle the greatest communication innovation of this century. Thegovernment wants to fight control over this new form of communication, andthey are trying to use the protection of children as a smoke s creen 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 distribute encryption could help preventthe need for government intervention.The current carcass of laws existing today in America does not apply head to theInternet. Is the Internet like a bookstore, where servers cannot be expected toreview every title? Is it like a phone company who must pretermit what it carriesbecause of privacy? Is it like a broadcasting medium, where the government