"Since the internet was invented in 1990, politicians have debated over a very pressing question: how much power should the government have over the internet? I, for one, believe that the government should not have any control over the internet, but overall, that ideal is unrealistic. Without some sort of government regulation, the free network we have come to know may be abused by large corporations in order to turn a profit. In contrast, if there is too much government involvement, the internet could easily become flooded with propaganda or shut off completely if it so pleased those in power. In the end, neither side can truly win without there being some sort of socio-political ramifications. Our nation should try to compromise on this topic
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has taken steps to decrease the regulation of the internet. On December 14, 2018, the FCC voted on and passed the motion to repeal Net Neutrality. Net Neutrality was a basic principle that prevented internet service providers from slowing down or blocking certain websites or internet content. They claim that the removal of this rule will decrease the amount of government regulation online, therefore helping the people as a whole. However, the removal of this guideline will only serve to give the internet service providers an excuse to make Americans pay for the right to choose what websites we can visit. This could be interpreted as a violation of our first amendment right towards free speech. The removal of Net Neutrality may only be the beginning. Who is to deny the fact that in the very near future, we may have to pay money to visit certain websites while others, especially those of companies sponsored by certain internet providers, work perfectly fine for free? Without government control, the general guidelines of corporate conduct online we take for granted would cease to …show more content…
The internet was invented to be a way for people on one side of the world to communicate with someone on the other side. What if that connection was severed? Too many, the idea is unimaginable. In today’s world, it is nearly impossible to go about your day without seeing or coming in contact with a phone, computer or other device. Unfortunately, this is exactly the case in oppressive regimes like North Korea. In these regimes, the internet is restricted to the point where its primary function is to broadcast propaganda. Free speech is almost nonexistent and factual information is extremely difficult to acquire. This system essentially brainwashes the public into thinking what the government wants them to think, feeding them lies to make them complacent. In the past, particularly in the last decade, many social movements have stemmed from free forums online. Most recently, the “#MeToo†movement has done considerable work toward eradicating sexual harassment in the workplace or at least towards consistent punishment for those responsible. In the past, many of these perpetrators would have walked away clean. In fact, many high ranking government employees have been aligned for sexual harassment because of this movement. What if the government had the power to take down the websites fueling this movement simply because it would bring negative publicity to it? To quote Lord
has taken steps to decrease the regulation of the internet. On December 14, 2018, the FCC voted on and passed the motion to repeal Net Neutrality. Net Neutrality was a basic principle that prevented internet service providers from slowing down or blocking certain websites or internet content. They claim that the removal of this rule will decrease the amount of government regulation online, therefore helping the people as a whole. However, the removal of this guideline will only serve to give the internet service providers an excuse to make Americans pay for the right to choose what websites we can visit. This could be interpreted as a violation of our first amendment right towards free speech. The removal of Net Neutrality may only be the beginning. Who is to deny the fact that in the very near future, we may have to pay money to visit certain websites while others, especially those of companies sponsored by certain internet providers, work perfectly fine for free? Without government control, the general guidelines of corporate conduct online we take for granted would cease to …show more content…
The internet was invented to be a way for people on one side of the world to communicate with someone on the other side. What if that connection was severed? Too many, the idea is unimaginable. In today’s world, it is nearly impossible to go about your day without seeing or coming in contact with a phone, computer or other device. Unfortunately, this is exactly the case in oppressive regimes like North Korea. In these regimes, the internet is restricted to the point where its primary function is to broadcast propaganda. Free speech is almost nonexistent and factual information is extremely difficult to acquire. This system essentially brainwashes the public into thinking what the government wants them to think, feeding them lies to make them complacent. In the past, particularly in the last decade, many social movements have stemmed from free forums online. Most recently, the “#MeToo†movement has done considerable work toward eradicating sexual harassment in the workplace or at least towards consistent punishment for those responsible. In the past, many of these perpetrators would have walked away clean. In fact, many high ranking government employees have been aligned for sexual harassment because of this movement. What if the government had the power to take down the websites fueling this movement simply because it would bring negative publicity to it? To quote Lord