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.