State Internet Censorship Essay Example

children would be unfair.

2. The majority of internet users are protected by the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech.

3. Offensive or pornographic content is only a small fraction of what most people use the internet for.

4. It is crucial to realize that it is technically impossible to censor the internet.

5. Despite worries about online pornography, certain legal forms such as videos and print publications should be recognized and accepted.

IV.

There are various measures available other than government censorship that can address the issue of Net misuse and achieve similar outcomes.

1. Moral guidance from parents is crucial in ensuring responsible internet usage for children, and parents should bear this responsibility.

2. Alongside providing moral guidance, we need to explore short-term solutions for a more efficient resolution of the problem.

3. One alternative to government censorship is the adoption of technological fixes that can prevent Net misuse while achieving the same effects as censorship.

1. An example of a technological fix is the "SurfWatch" software.

2. Additionally, commercial Internet service providers like "America Online" offer parental control options to regulate access to Internet relay chat (IRC) sessions for children.

3. Parents and guardians can use a separate "proxy server" to control their children's web browser.

4. Automatic and reliable classification of material is not possible with computer programs; only human intervention can achieve it. Therefore, when posting content, careful classification is crucial.

5. Nowadays, the majority of internet users categorize their posts using standard classifications and include signatures at the end.

6. The installation of censoring software combined with material classification is a superior alternative to government censorship.

In conclusion, the Internet is a vast and beneficial realm of both entertainment and education. However, just

like any other public space frequented by millions of individuals, it also contains certain unsavory areas that parents would prefer their children to avoid exploring. Unlike the physical world where society as a whole works together to protect young individuals, there are no such social or physical barriers present in the realm of Internet browsing. In response to this, the U.S. Congress has introduced the Internet Censorship Bill of 1995, also known as the Exon/Coats Communications Decency Act. This bill aims to categorize making indecent content available to children or sending indecent content with "intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass" as criminal offenses ("Stop the Communications ..." n.p.).

The purpose of this bill, as written (despite the way it is presented by those in favor), is to make all online public discussions appropriate for young children. The debate over whether internet censorship is essential is taking place globally. Many websites on the World Wide Web are dedicated to addressing this matter and urging individuals to sign a petition against governmental censorship. Initially, the internet served as a platform for unrestricted global expression of ideas.

Email is an invaluable form of technology in America, as scientists rely on it for efficient communication. They share their latest scientific findings on Usenet newsgroups, allowing researchers worldwide to stay updated in a matter of minutes. The general public also utilizes the Internet for various communication purposes such as expressing opinions in newsgroups, accessing current information on the World Wide Web (WWW), and downloading files through FTP. Implementing censorship would undermine the freedom of expression that characterizes the Internet, making it important for the government to refrain from endorsing such

measures. Furthermore, the Internet community encompasses a vast array of technical terminology.

To start, it is crucial to grasp the specific terminology related to the Internet. The Internet, often called the "Net," is a worldwide computer network. According to Allison and Baxter from Monash University, the Internet encompasses different digital media that fulfill comparable functions as conventional media (Allison and Baxter 3). Email, which is part of the Internet, acts as a communication method similar to personal letters, memos, notes, and even phone calls. Moreover, text messages can be accompanied by sound and pictures.

Email is primarily used for private communication. Electronic mailing lists are similar to club newsletters, requiring readers to opt-in or subscribe. Another term frequently used is electronic news (enews/Usenet). Enews functions as a broadcasting medium on the Internet and is free of charge. It shares similarities with talk-back radio or television in that the target audience is broad and diverse. The term FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is also commonly used.

The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) emerged as a method on the internet to store and retrieve data, similar to traditional libraries. Through a text-based interface, users can access files from remote computers. Additionally, the World Wide Web (WWW) enables the sharing of content that was previously available in various mediums such as journals, magazines, posters, books, TV shows, and movies. The term "UNIX", widely recognized in computing, refers to an operating system developed by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie at AT;T Bell Laboratories in 1969 for minicomputers ("UNIX" n.p.).

To grasp the context of the debate, it is crucial to provide a concise history of the Internet. The Internet emerged approximately two decades ago with

the objective of linking the ARPAnet, a U.S. Defense Department network, with several radio and satellite networks. The ARPAnet served as an experimental network devised for military research, specifically focusing on developing networks that could endure partial disruptions, like bomb attacks, and continue operating.

During the emergence of the Internet, Ethernet local area networks ("LANs") were also being developed. These LANs often had workstations equipped with Berkeley UNIX, which featured IP (Internet Protocol) networking software. As a result, organizations began desiring to connect their entire local network to the ARPAnet, rather than just a single timesharing computer per site. This demand continues to increase even now.

Now that the majority of four-year colleges have internet connectivity, efforts are being made to connect secondary and primary schools as well. Those who have graduated from college and have benefited from utilizing internet resources in their classes understand the potential of the internet and convince their employers to connect their respective organizations. These developments indicate ongoing expansion, the need to address network-related challenges, advancements in technology, and job stability for network professionals (Willmott 107). The internet can also be metaphorically likened to a church.

The Internet can be compared to a church in several aspects. It possesses a council of elders, where every member has their own perspective on how things should operate, and they can choose whether or not to participate. The Internet does not have a president, chief operating officer, or Pope. While individual networks within it may have their own leaders, the absence of a single authority figure applies to the Internet as a whole.

Frances Hentoff, a staff writer for The Village Voice and author of First Freedoms,

claims that there are no limitations on individual internet downloads. This lack of regulation raises concerns about the range of online content. To tackle this problem, the U.S. government is presently suggesting legislation to control internet misuse.

The Internet Censorship Bill of 1995, currently under discussion in the U.S. Congress, states that individuals will be breaking the law if they place a purity test on a web page without taking steps to prevent children from accessing it. Furthermore, verbal assault on IRC is also deemed as a violation of this legislation.

George Melloan, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, states that universities are breaking the law if they provide access to alt.sex.* newsgroups containing adult material while having students under 18 years old. The Senate and House have recently passed bills on censorship and anticensorship with overwhelming votes in favor. Currently, the Telecomm reform bill contains different language regarding censorship and anticensorship in both House and Senate versions, which will require resolution. To understand why legislation is needed, it is important to explore the controversy surrounding this issue and address existing problems related to the Internet.

The main concern for most people is offensive content, such as pornography. According to Allison and Baxter (3), potential offensive topics include behavior (drugs, ...), nudity, political/economic/social opinion, violence, racial/ethnic, religious, coarse language, sexual/gender orientation, and sexuality. The Internet makes this type of material easily accessible to children because it is accessible to everyone. As stated by Allison and Baxter (3), the Internet offers a wide variety of information including train schedules, university lecture notes, books, art exhibits film promotions individual opinions and yes pornographic images. In addition to this accessibility

issue for children, many high schools in the United States give students access to the Internet for educational purposes. While this can be beneficial for searching information there is a high chance that a student looking for inappropriate material will find it with a simple internet search.

One significant internet crime is the stealing of credit card numbers. Companies engage in online business and store credit card numbers on their servers. Any individual with sufficient computer knowledge can hack into these servers and acquire such databases for illegal purposes. For example, Kevin Mitnick, a notorious computer terrorist, is currently in jail in California after surrendering and facing charges of computer fraud and illegal use of a telephone access device. The accusations against him include the theft of numerous files and documents, including twenty-thousand credit card numbers from Netcom On-Line Services, a provider of internet access to thousands of users (Warren 52). Americans need to find a solution to prevent children from accessing inappropriate material and to safeguard against misuse of the internet.

The worldwide debate surrounding the "Censor the Net" approach, also known as the censorship bill, stems from the inapplicability of this approach. The concept of "Censoring the Net" involves banning offensive material. In order to determine whether the government should censor the internet, it is crucial to consider the pros and cons of this approach. One advantage of government censorship is that it could potentially protect children and teenagers from accessing inappropriate content. Nevertheless, experts argue that implementing government censorship is impractical.

Howard Rheingold, editor of the Whole World Review, argues that censoring the internet is not only morally wrong but also becoming technically and

politically unfeasible (Rheingold n.p.). Additionally, it is unjust to impede freedom of expression and hinder the open exchange of ideas simply to protect children. According to Corn-Revere, an expert on internet censorship at the Howgan ; Harson Law Firm, regulating indecency is intended to prevent adult content from reaching minors. Senator Exon, who previously introduced a similar bill, expressed concern about the internet transforming into a digital "red light district" and emphasized his desire to restrict his granddaughter's access to inappropriate information (Corn-Revere 24). Clearly, Senator Exon's bill aimed at preventing minors from accessing unsuitable material online.

According to Meleedy, a computer science graduate student at Harvard University, the accessibility of democracy to the average citizen through the Internet raises concerns about Congress wanting to censor it (Meleedy 1). The Internet media is characterized by its diversity of information sources and its global reach, with authors ranging from major corporations like IBM and Disney to school children, as argued by Allison and Baxter (3). Corn-Revere predicts that, as a result of censorship laws, content providers will be forced to make access more difficult, impacting all users, not just the young (Corn-Revere 70). Given that censoring the Internet is technically and politically impossible, it would harm the freedom and expression of ideas on the Net. Therefore, the government should not support censorship.

According to Corn-Reverse (71), the internet allows users to exercise their right to freedom of speech, which is protected by the First Amendment of the United States. The author suggests that online systems offer individuals a level of free speech and free press that has never been experienced in human history. Furthermore, Rheingold argues that attempting

to impose restrictions on the chaotic yet tremendously innovative nature of the internet could destroy the cooperative knowledge-sharing atmosphere that millions of people find valuable. Therefore, it is crucial to uphold the freedom to express ideas on the internet without any exceptions. It is worth noting that offensive material constitutes only a small fraction of the internet, and the majority of users do not utilize it for pornography.

According to Caragata from Maclean's magazine, pornography is the most controversial content on the internet. However, compared to all the other available content, pornography is only a small fraction. The majority of the internet is used for communication and exchanging information. It is important to recognize that it is technically impossible to censor the internet.

According to Allison and Baxter, it is practically impossible to monitor all content transmitted on the Internet due to difficulties with international boundaries. They also point out that implementing a licensing system for monitoring presents numerous practical challenges (Allison and Baxter 6). Additionally, Allison and Baxter explain that any competent Computer Science graduate can develop a highly secure encryption system to hide information, such as concealing it within an innocent-looking image (Allison and Baxter 6).

In order to publish offensive material, one can create a formula to alter the content based on a key and secretly communicate the key to other users. This allows them to access the same material while bypassing government censorship. While concerns about internet pornography exist, it is important to acknowledge that pornography is sometimes legal, such as in videos and magazines. Thus, it is contradictory to prohibit the equivalent material on the internet. According to Rheingold, individuals should have the

right to control the flow of information into their homes and have the ability to exclude any subject matter they deem inappropriate for their children.

According to Rheingold (n.p.), parents may try to protect their children from inappropriate material, but eventually they will be exposed to it. This could lead parents to confront the negative effects on the values they have instilled in their children. Although the Internet is not the sole source of explicit content for teenagers, they can encounter indecent material in various other places. Allison and Baxter (8) suggest that electronic media creators are not necessarily producing content that is worse than what can be found in news agents, video shops, or through mail-order sources.

When it comes to censoring, if the goal is to shield minors from inappropriate content, censorship should extend beyond just the Internet. Banning the Internet alone will only remove one avenue for minors to access irrelevant material. Government censorship is not the solution, as there are alternative measures that can achieve the same results. Numerous alternative measures exist to prevent misuse of the Internet and replicate the effects of censorship. Hentoff suggests that children can be protected without government intervention through methods such as blocking specific areas, using passwords, and parental supervision. In addition, adults can enjoy protection from government thought control under the First Amendment.

According to Hentoff (1), if the censorship bill is passed, it may lead to the exclusion of the First Amendment in cyberspace. Therefore, it is crucial for parents to take on the responsibility of providing moral guidance for their children. In fact, moral guidance is considered the primary long-term solution to address this issue.

Rheingold suggests that Americans must prepare themselves for a future where they have to effectively educate their children due to the technological shock caused by pornography on the internet.

The most effective protection against the exposure of minors to sexual material in various media is to provide them with moral grounding and common sense, according to Rheingold (n.p.). In America, children are often exposed to such content. Therefore, moral guidance is crucial in addressing this issue. Additionally, Americans need to devise short-term solutions to efficiently tackle this problem while parents continue to provide moral guidance.

An alternative to government censorship is the technological fix, which aims to prevent misuse of the Net and have similar effects as government censorship. The technological fix involves designing intelligent software to filter information. Currently, there is a rush to develop and market information filtering software. One specific example of a technological fix is the "SurfWatch" software. As described by Allison and Baxter, SurfWatch is an innovative software product that assists parents in managing the abundance of sexual material on the Internet. It allows parents to take responsibility for blocking inappropriate content on individual computers, minimizing the chances of accidental or intentional exposure to unwanted material for children and others.

SurfWatch aims to address the challenges posed by the rapid growth of technology, offering individuals the power to choose their own Internet experience (Allison, Baxter 6). The SurfWatch vendor plans to provide regular updates to keep up with the ever-changing Internet landscape. Additionally, commercial Internet service providers like "America Online" enable parents to regulate the accessibility of Internet relay chat (IRC) sessions for their children (Cidley 59). Many commercial Internet service providers feature

a Parental Control function that users can activate to automatically filter out offensive language in IRC.

Children can be protected from offensive material while adults maintain their internet freedom. One solution is for parents and guardians to set up a separate "proxy server" for their children's web browser. A proxy server is a program that blocks access to specific internet sites or Usenet newsgroups. Parents must actively choose which sites their proxy server can access.

According to the "Communications Decency Act Issues Page" by the Center for Democracy and Technology, the use of Parental Control tools is a recommended solution for parents to control their children's internet access. These tools are provided by major online services and can be purchased as software. While there are tools available for parents to control internet access, the classification of material when posting is still reliant on human judgment as there are no computer programs that can reliably classify material. Posting material with proper classification and leaving signatures at the end is common practice among internet users. Allison and Baxter state that these signatures are secure digital signatures that can be traced back to an actual person, company, or organization (Allison, Baxter 4).

The material's strengths are commonly categorized as "strong" or "weak", and a document's attitudes towards a topic are often classified as "advocates", "discusses", "deplores", or "does not discuss". Moreover, to simplify the classification process for multiple items, particularly in the case of FTP and WWW, classifications are often assigned to directories and inherited by subdirectories and documents. As a result, readers can make informed decisions about accessing Internet content, and programming intelligent software becomes easier by recognizing a limited

number of classification terms. In fact, material classification has already been conducted on the Internet for some time.

With proper classification, internet materials can be easily identified beforehand. The names of Usenet newsgroups accurately predict the content they hold. For example, the group soc.culture.hongkong.entertainment focuses on discussions about Hong Kong's entertainment industry, while alt.binaries.sex.pictures contains encoded binary files of explicit images. Internet users are aware of what to expect and minors are aware that they should avoid browsing through alt.sex.* newsgroups. The combination of censoring software installation and material classification is a superior alternative to government censorship. Hentoff highlights that the "flexibility of interactive media...enables parents to control what content their kids have access to, and leaves the flow of information free for those adults who want it" (Hentoff 1).

By implementing measures to prevent children from accessing unwanted material, adults can still enjoy their Internet freedom. One pressing issue with the Internet is its accessibility to inappropriate content by minors. The US government proposed censoring the Internet as a solution, but it has been proven that this approach is technically and politically unfeasible. The most effective solution lies in parents offering moral guidance to their children.

While simultaneously offering moral guidance to their children, Americans also require immediate technical solutions. Intelligent censoring software and proxy servers enable parents to prevent their children from accessing specific websites. This allows parents to protect their children from offensive content on the Internet. However, traditional approaches such as government censorship are ineffective in addressing the various dilemmas and unanswered questions of the digital age.

Americans may need to embrace alternative solutions like intelligent software filters to access a lighter version of the

internet. To ensure the effectiveness of these filters and proxy servers, the classification of online information, which internet users have been doing for years, is essential. This allows parents to censor the internet for their children while allowing adults to maintain their freedom online. This approach will achieve the same outcome as government censorship without compromising the atmosphere of free expression on the internet. Additionally, it is important to note that inappropriate content is not limited to the internet, as minors can access such material through other means. Therefore, internet censorship is not the ultimate solution to address the issue of minors accessing sexual material.

To prevent minors from accessing sexual material, it is essential for parents to play a more active role in monitoring their children's viewing habits. According to Rheingold (n.p.), the solution lies in imparting moral values and common sense to sons and daughters. This technological era has brought about a significant moral challenge for Americans, necessitating the need for parents to educate their children effectively.

WORKS CITED
Allison, L., and R. Baxter.

Protecting Our Innocents. http://www.cs.monash.edu.au/~lloyd/tilde/InterNet/Innocent/1995.224.html. Caragata, Warren. "Crime in the Cyberspace." Maclean's 22 May 1995: 50+. Cidley, Joe. "Red light district." Maclean's 22 May 1995: 58+.

The text is a citation for two sources, "New Age Comstockery: Exan vs the Internet Policy Analysis No. 232" by Corn-Revere and a dissertation by Hentoff, Frances, from the Howgan & Hartson Law Firm in 1995.

"Indecent Proposal." Entertainment Weekly 31 March, 1995. Meleedy, David. "Internet Censorship." Diss. Harvard University, 1995.

The Wall Street Journal article by George Melloan on June 26, 1995, titled "Science Miracles Sprout From Creative Freedom," discusses the positive outcomes that arise from having the

freedom to be creative. In a Time article by Elmer-Derwitt Philip on July 3, 1995, titled "Porn on the Internet," the author explores the presence of pornography on the internet. Howard Rheingold's book, "Rheingold's Tomorrow: Why Censoring Cyberspace is Dangerous; Futile," also delves into the dangers and futility of trying to censor cyberspace.

Below are the sources mentioned in the text, including the hyperlinks:

• http://www.well.com/user/hlr/tomorrow/tomorrowcensor.html
• Sanchez, Robert. "A Wired Education." Internet World 4 October 1995: 71+.
• CDT's Communications Decency Act Issues Page
• "UNIX." Microsoft Encarta.

The text states that there is a computer software called "Vers. 95" which is an encyclopedia software from 1995. It is compatible with MS Windows 3.1 and requires 0.6 GB of storage. The software is available on a CD-ROM.

Willmott, Don. "Activities on the Internet." PC Magazine 10 October 1995: 106+.