Today, the Internet holds a seemingly endless list of possibilities. One can chat with friends, shop online, read the news, blog, watch T.V. shows, etc. However, the right to freedom of speech on the Internet is something that most people take for granted.
There are many countries who do not share the American view on the issue and are currently trying to regulate the Internet. Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, and the Italian government have drafted a decree that would mandate the vetting of videos that are uploaded onto such sites as Youtube. (Read the Full Article) Economic supporters claim that the Internet must be regulated as other economic platforms are, or big companies will retain a monopolistic grip. However, Google execs are concerned that this decree takes aim at user-generated content, which drives Youtube. France has moved to take an even stronger position on regulation, blocking sites that the government deems “unsuitable.” (Read the Full Article)
Although these governments’ intentions are good (blocking content such as child pornography and hate literature), the actual task of regulating such an endless frontier as the Internet is nearly impossible. Even if such regulation was accepted by all countries, to survey and censor every website would be enormously time-consuming. With the rapidly increasing technology associated with the internet, it might soon be completely impossible to block content. If governments had the power to efficiently regulate the Internet to their liking, then the issue of what content to block comes to the surface. Some only want to block only the most offensive sites, but some countries want to completely shut down any sites that dare post opposition to the government.
Internet regulation could soon become a moot issue as the growth of the Internet could defy any such attempts.
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