Essay On Internet Censorship

Chances are everyone who has ever read this and will read this uses the internet daily. It is an incredibly convenient tool that allows us to find information in mere seconds. Imagine if our access to that information was suddenly limited, or even completely denied. That is the daily reality for citizens of China today. Their government censors anything on the internet that they do not agree with, and blocks popular websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, and YouTube. Some areas, such as Aba County, are completely denied internet access altogether (Beam). Some argue that, while not to this extent, a system of internet censorship should be implemented in America. However, that would have many negative consequences. Internet censorship should not be implemented because it violates our rights, is far too …show more content…
Supporters claim that internet censorship could filter out viruses that would target big businesses and access all of their information, which would eventually hurt the economy. However, it is highly unlikely that big businesses would not have the funds to attain proper security software and hire competent staff to prevent this from happening. Smaller businesses may not be able to do so, but they would likely not have a profound effect on the economy if they were to go out of business, and certainly not as much of an effect as large corporations. Supporters also argue that internet censorship could prevent file sharing by blocking file sharing sites, which would benefit musicians and film companies who suffer losses from people illegally downloading their content for free. While it is possible that this could mostly prevent this from occurring, it is likely that some people would find a way around this. Whether it worked or not, the high economic costs would not outweigh the benefits provided to businesses, musicians, and