The Internet is now showing increased illegal activities that can either harm an individual or the whole community. Children and youths are the most affected by internet vices. Cyberbullying, identity theft, pornography, and hacking, are among the things that affect people, courtesy of the Internet. Many states, China being the leader, have seen massive internet censorship efforts meant to stop these illegal activities. Before you criticize these countries for tampering with people’s freedom through the Internet, you should take your time to understand why the Internet should have some form of censorship.
Social and Moral Concerns
Social and moral concerns are the main reasons why the Internet should be censored. Censorship helps in cases that are contrary to the values and morals of society. For instance, the Chinese censorship of the Internet is mainly because of moral concerns. Like several countries, China is rich in culture and cannot stand back and see anything that threatens to destroy their cultural heritage. Censorship also prohibits pornography to protect children and teens against sex offenses. For many years, porn has been a vice, but the arrival of the Internet has made it worse. Child pornography is a big Internet problem. Pedophiles have a better platform to network and even recruit minors to child pornography. No country will like to expose its future generation to this kind of life.
Political Reasons
The Internet has become a political tool in many countries where people take advantage of it to spread negative political, social, and religious messages. This is contrary to the policy of every state and, if not censored, can result in political unrest. The Internet can easily become a breeding ground for pedophiles and a place where people can spread propaganda and hate speech. A person can easily go online to spread racism and hatred. Terrorists can efficiently recruit people through this platform, putting the country at risk of a terrorist attack and racial war.
Intellectual Property Rights
Businesses and individuals need protection from cyber threats and malware. Internet is a platform where violations of intellectual property rights are rampant. Artists, writers, movie producers, among other people, are largely affected by the uncensored Internet. Piracy hurts not only big industries but also individuals who are struggling to make it in the business world. While other people argue that information should be free, who is going to pay these people who take their time to research, become creative, and come up with this information? Regulating the Internet is the only way creators can have the right to distribute their innovative ideas in the right way and earn from them.
While the word censoring already sends chills to many people, when it comes to the Internet, it is the best thing to do. People who have access to the Internet must learn to live within community standards. This is not aimed at denying you the freedom of interacting online but protecting businesses and the future generation. Internet freedom is essential, but too much of this freedom can hurt other people, including the vulnerable society members such as children. Censorship is a brilliant way to make the world a better place to live in.
