Censoring the Internet: A Violation of Rights

The concept of freedom is continuously questioned in this day and age. What society is permitted to do constantly changes; rules evolve as opinions vary. Typically, individuals wish to prevent younger generations from being exposed to age-inappropriate ideas. The final frontier of censorship is the internet, where free information is exchanged with little-to-no limitation.

                Internet censorship has been a topic of discussion for years. Ever since the media has become a phenomenon, speculation has surfaced as to whether or not information should be filtered. Many feel that this violates the constitution’s “freedom of speech” amendment. There are those others, however, who see some information as unsafe. In the textbook “Media and Culture”, an interesting article titled “China’s Great Firewall” expresses similar ideas. The article discusses the Chinese government’s decision to censor the internet, while at the same time various companies are promoting the liberation of Chinese internet. The country is divided between its people and its government, a division which was only exacerbated by the false promises of a “more open and free internet” by the country’s leaders. Looking at this scenario, one must ask if the reasons behind internet censorship are valid.

                If America is to actually enact internet censorship laws, they must do so carefully. I personally believe that censorship of any information on a network designed for free exchange is a violation of our constitution. If someone wishes to search for answers to a question, they should not be greeted by an “error 404” (error claiming that a page is non-existent). As my professor reminded me in lecture, SOPA first allowed the government to take action back in late 2011. SOPA stands for stop online piracy act, designed to stop illegal exchange of information. Despite this, the government has attempted to censor information that many consider legal, as it can be found almost anywhere. For example, as a result of SOPA, youtube.com (a popular video exchange site) had begun to take down videos which violated copyright claims. The videos targeted are primarily user-made home videos with songs legally purchased playing in the background. Since these songs are shared with others though, the exchange of information is considered to be illegal. It’s ridiculous that such a minor instance was made into such a large ordeal. The smallest piracy problems are being placed above major violations of copyright laws, which I would actually agree that SOPA should stop.

                Last year, a website known as “Megaupload.com” was taken down due to piracy claims. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the site’s owner willingly allowed the exchange of copyrighted information, thereby making it an illegal exchange. The owner was arrested, and the site was shut down. Soon after that, users moved onto other well-known file-sharing websites: rapidshare.com and oron.com, to name a few. To this day, that website remains up on the internet and continues to allow the exchange of illegal information (whether knowingly or not). The majority of experienced internet users are aware of this and many other websites similar to it allowing exchanges to continue.

                The media's perspective on this issue is troubling at best. There seems to be an alarmingly few number of stories discussing the piracy and torrent crimes which are present in the world today. Most of the stories tend to focus on the groups fighting against SOPA, not the actual battle between the groups. For example, an online group, known simply as Anonymous, rose up to fight against SOPA and the government's anti-piracy laws. They claim that the internet is a place of free-exchange, and should not be regulated. However, what they're fighting against has become overshadowed in the media by the fact that they are a "terrorist organization" who's goals harm "The American Dream". There is little mention in mass media of their ideas or beliefs, only that their goals oppose our country's laws, and as such, they are criminals. This is truly disappointing, for if the majority of Americans knew the truth behind this group, they would most likely align their own ideas with those of Anonymous (at least, to an extent). 

                The government’s attempt at censorship of the people, while it can be seen as a violation of personal rights, is a valiant one. I agree that they should censor the information exchange of copyrighted material on the internet. Simply making a rule about it isn’t going to be effective: if the information exists out there, people will be pirating it (some assuming that it’s legal unknowingly). However, by forcing websites such as youtube.com to enforce copyright laws in a much stricter fashion, they aren’t doing much good. The government should stop worrying about copyright violations on a website that allows exchange of primarily personal videos. Their attention should be focused on torrent sites and major file-sharing sites which are known to violate copyrights. Piracy in this age is alive and well, but is harder to stop more than ever. If the government can simply utilize SOPA effectively, piracy can be stopped once and for all. 

The Likely Fate of the Internet