Internet Censorship

I do not think that the internet should be censored or rated. I do feel however that there should be protections in place to protect children and underage people from viewing certain material. The internet is a wealth of information that should not be censored. That is what makes it great in my mind. People are allowed to speak their mind and share data and information freely. If the government gets involved to censor certain material, I feel that would be a huge loss.

We already see the censorship of the internet in many countries. In North Korea, all websites are under government control and only 4% of the population has internet access. In China the government filters searches, block sites and erases "inconvenient" content, rerouting search terms on Taiwan independence or the Tiananmen Square massacre to items favorable to the Communist Party.

In America, not having a censored internet keeps things transparent in my opinion. Could you imagine if no one could write articles, blogs, or news stories about our government? It would be much harder to find out truthful information about what’s going on in our government.

Thankfully in America we are protected by freedom of speech. I’ve seen many people’s opinions on our government or elected officials on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, and news outlets. In many countries, you could be prosecuted for expressing your disdain for the government so freely.

We know that not everything you see on the internet should be believed or trusted. But that is what makes our internet great. We have a lot of information out there from facts to opinions to purely made up. But what’s great is that we can to view all the material, and form our own opinion. The content that is out there isn’t regulated or created just by the government.

Arab Spring

Arab Spring refers to uprisings that started in the Middle East in 2010 that demanded total change. Some countries where Arab Spring happened include Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and Syria. Social media played a crucial role to the organization of Arab Springs. Social media was used to communicate and raise awareness and organize demonstrations, marches, and rallies.

Young people were a huge influence in the revolts by using social networking. Freedom of speech and the right to assemble are limited in Egypt.  For young people in Egypt, Facebook, which allows users to speak freely to one another, is an irresistible platform for social interaction but also for opposition. The Egyptian government actually attempted   to eliminate the nation's Internet access in order to inhibit the protesters' ability organize through Social Media. As of September 2012, Arab Springs have resulted in governments being overthrown in four countries. 

In countries where freedom of speech is limited, I can see how the use of Facebook is so appealing. It allows people to get their message out to a large number of people. It allows them to connect with other people that may have the same views of them. The only unethical thing I can see about Arab Spring by using social media, is the possibility of things turning violent by persuading someone’s actions. Otherwise, I don’t think there is anything unethical about using social media to organize uprisings.