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 crosswise large distances quickly. cybernation hasinfluenced everyones life. The natural evolution of computers and this need forultra-fast communications has caused a global bring inwork of interconnected computersto develop. This global net allows a person to send E-mail across the world in merefractions of a second, and enables even the common person to access informationworld-wide. With advances such as software that allows users with a sound wit touse the Internet as a carrier 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 free 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 achiever of the Internet is its protection of free speech, noton ly in America, but in other countries where free speech is not protected by aconstitution. To be found on the Internet is a huge collection of obscene graphics,Anarchists cookbooks and countless other things that offend some people. With over30 one million million million 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 making bodies round the world threatens to stifle this area ofspontaneity. Recently, Congress has been considering passing laws that will make ita crime punishable by jail to send "vulgar" run-in over the net, and to exportencryption software. No matter how small, any attempt at government interventionin the Internet will stifle the greatest communication innovation of this century. Thegovernment wants to maintain control over this new form of communication, andthey are trying to use the protection of children as a slew screen to pass laws t hatwill allow them to regulate and censor the Internet, speckle 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 existing today in America does not wear well to theInternet. Is the Internet like a bookstore, where servers cannot be expected toreview every title? Is it like a phone company who must handle what it carriesbecause of privacy? Is it like a broadcasting medium, where the government