Rogerian. Censorship of the Internet. Literature & Language Essay

Censorship of the Internet
Name
Institution
Date
Censorship of the Internet
Introduction
Censorship is a term used to refer to the process or activity of removing content perceived as offensive to a section of the intended population. The primary objective of censorship is to uphold the social values and beliefs of the community by preventing the people from accessing information or content that can harm them in anyway (Kohorst, 2018). Whilst the need for censorship has a valid support, there has been increase on public debate regarding the issue of censoring the internet. Some individual argue that censoring of internet will limit access to information while others believe that it will safeguard the quality of information accessible to the public. The following essay examines both arguments to determine the most reliable stance on the issue.
Background
The rapid growth and development of the internet has been beneficial in increasing access to information to the general population. The quick spread and constant growth of this element became a cause of concern for many authorities due to the ease that most people had in accessing vital information that they requires. As a result, authorities began asking for regulation of the internet to control or suppress what was published, access, or viewed by the populations. In this regard, the authorities were working to safeguard their interest and those of their countries by limiting information access to the general public (Deibert & Villeneuve, 2016). With time, the issue of pornography and other illegal activities that are accessible through the internet has increased the calls for its censorship in a move that seeks to safeguard the values and beliefs of different communities. It is essential to note that although this debate is still raging different countries have enacted some level of internet censorship with China and North Korean being the most notable ones for having strict regulations regarding terms that a person can access on the internet and even forcing the services providers to change their services when operating in these countries (Yang, 2016).
Arguments
Proponents of Internet Censorship
The most notable argument for censoring the internet is to reduce the illegal activities that take place there. It is essential to note that the growth and spread of the internet has provided a unique and reliable breeding group for illegal activities such as distribution of phonographic materials and human trafficking activities. Regarding distribution of phonographic material, the growth and rampant use of the internet has made these materials easily accessible to everyone including underage child. Besides, the dark webs are breeding ground for sharing materials on child phonography, which is illegal across the world. From the perspective of human trafficking activities, the dark web provides link for buyers and sellers to engage in the business (GreenGarage, 2019). As such, censoring the internet would give the authorities a means for preventing these practices by discovering them instead of working from a reactive position.
Secondly, internet censorship helps to boost the security of an individual as well as that of the country. The growth of interne...