Monterroso 1

Jose Monterroso

Larsen

English 2010

27 April 2017

Internet Censorship

The internet is the first place you go to for help, but what if you cant access the internet.

Countless places around the world barely have the internet, some are even gaining access now,

and others have had it for a long time. Most countries that cant access the internet are under

strict policies and rulers that dont allow the public to view the internet or the full extent of it.

However, the public doesn't always want to be restricted. Their curiosity grows and they find

ways to breach the outside. Internet censorship has become a common thing throughout the

world.

Many countries around the globe have adopted internet censorship. According to

Countries that Practice Internet Censorship, written by Margaret Haerens and Lynn M. Zott,

countries classified as enemies of the internet are: Bahrain, Belarus, Burma, China, Iran, North

Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Gabon and Vietnam. Furthermore, the

authors lists countries that are Under Surveillance for troubling internet censorship practices,

they are: Australia, Egypt, Eritrea, France, India, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Russia, South Korea, Sri

Lanka, Thailand, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates. As you can see below on the pie chart,

12.8% of the world's countries that we know about censor the internet from their public.
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This pie chart represents the countries written above in the paragraph.

While most countries hate being censored, Russia prefers internet censorship. In an

article written by Adam Taylor, by the name of 60 percent of Russians think Internet censorship

is necessary, poll finds, Taylor discusses how 60% of Russians believe that the internet

should be censored. In particular the banning of certain websites and material. The survey

states that about 51% of Russians are skeptical about the internet. People from all over the

world have different point of views and Russia is no exception. Russians feel safer with the

government in control, while in the United States internet censorship is considered an attack on

the first amendment.

Chinas population is rapidly growing and they currently lead the world in population per

country. But Chinas government seeks to control the internet. As stated in the article Great

Firewall of China: war on cybercafe society, written by Brian Doherty, he talks about how

China uses Firewalls to protect their people. The author also talks about how China has shut
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down almost all the internet cafes, and the ones that remain are strictly monitored. The Chinese

public doesnt want all the restrictions, but the oligarchy appears to be forcing them, and

conceals the rights and freedoms other countries have. In an article by the Washington Times

called The Great Firewall of China; The communists cant keep 1.3 billion offline forever, the

author talks about how the Chinese people are hating the fact that the Chinese government is

censoring the internet. The author explains how loopholes are being covered and almost all

access to the internet is being controlled. Furthermore, they are now tracking texts and phone

calls; the Chinese public is furious and have done several riots. Once the people connect to

the internet they discover the rights and freedoms that people from all around the world have.

China is censoring 18.5% of the world's population. (Current World Population)

In an article by Michael B. Farrell, Google Ends Internet Censorship, Dares China to

Make Next Move, the author explains how Google used to be part of Chinas internet
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censorship program. They would provide the Chinese government with a customizable search

engine of their choice. However, the author states that Google after a while blocking the Chinese

people felt bad and decided to stop assisting China.

Many governments believe that internet censorship is the key to protect their people. In

the article, Preface to Should the Internet Be Censored?, written by Margaret Haerens and

Lynn M. Zott, the authors talks about Wikileaks and how it discusses various topics that affect

the United States. Topics that can put the United States security at risk. According to the author,

US lawmakers were trying to shut down WikiLeaks. However, under the first amendment they

could not. Furthermore, several companies that are government funded cut off Wikileaks from its

servers. Lastly, the author talks about how the WikiLeaks scandal showed that governments

could successfully pressure companies to censor information and threaten internet

freedom. People can post anything they want on Wikileaks. Government secrets, political

scandals, and pictures of undercover agents have been posted. The government can force

government funded companies to block Wikileaks from their servers. But the United States isnt

the only country doing this. According to an article by Ilan Berman, by the name of, Iranian

Devolution, the author focuses on the political and social conditions of Iran. More than half of

Irans population has the internet available to them. The author examines how the legislation of

the current Iranian President and former President oppose the internet. Another country that uses

internet censorship for government safety is Gabon. In reference to an article by CNN, This

African country is taking an unprecedented step in internet censorship the author talks about

how the African country of Gabon is censoring the internet. The censorship started weeks before

their presidential election, and continued after the election. The author gives reason as to why it
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can and cannot be the government. Internet censorship for some countries is security, they do it

to protect the public. But for others its a way to stay in power.

People are focused on whether or not the internet should be censored that they havent

taken the time to think of who will govern the internet. Currently the United States controls

the internet. In accordance to the article, Global Internet Freedom Act, by Adrienne Wilmoth,

the author talks about how two lawyers proposed a bill to be passed by the name of Global

Internet Freedom Act. The author explains how the bill would make a new committee to oversee

internet censorship and attempt to disallow it. It would also try to convince other countries of

their wrongdoings. Some people would rather have the United Nations in control of the internet.

But in an article by Arthur Herman by the name of, The United Nations Should Not Govern the

Internet thinks otherwise. According to the author the United Nations is trying to remove

control of the internet from the United States and gain control of the internet. Furthermore, the

author gives reason as to why and why not this is a good idea. Countries with social and political

problems were the first to sign, but the United States is neglecting the change. Lastly, the author

explains ICANN and how this can help the internet. Whoever controls the internet, can morph

the future generations into whatever they want them to be. The internet has such a big

influence in our daily lives, and most us cant live without it.

Date Number of Users % World Population

December, 1999 248 Million 4.1%

December, 2000 361 Million 5.8%

August, 2001 513 Million 8.6%

September, 2002 587 Million 9.4%

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December, 2003 719 Million 11.1%

December, 2004 817 Million 12.7%

December, 2005 1,018 Million 15.7%

December, 2006 1,093 Million 16.7%

December, 2007 1,319 Million 20.0%

December, 2008 1,574 Million 23.5%

December, 2009 1,802 Million 26.6%

September, 2010 1,971 Million 28.8%

December, 2011 2,267 Million 32.7%

December, 2012 2,497 Million 35.7%

December, 2013 2,802 Million 39.0%

December, 2014 3,079 Million 42.4%

December, 2015 3,366 Million 46.4%

December, 2016 3,696 Million 49.5%

March, 2017 3,732 Million 49.6%

Table of Internet Growth since 1999. (Internet growth statistics)

The internet is growing and so is censorship. Internet censorship is a growing concern,

many countries are in favor of it, and some against it. The UN wants to control the internet, but

the United States is fighting hard to remain in control. This issue is of high importance because it

affects everyone. Everyone uses the internet in their daily lives. Its only the single most

important application we have, and we should take good care of it.

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Works Cited

Berman, Ilan. "Iranian Devolution." World Affairs 178.3 (2015): 51. MasterFILE Complete.

Countries That Practice Internet Censorship. Internet Censorship, edited by Margaret Haerens

and Lynn M. Zott, Greenhaven Press, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints.

Current World Population. World Population Clock: 7.5 Billion People (2017) -

Worldometers.

N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017

Doherty, Brian. Great firewall of China: war on cybercafe society. (citings). Reason, Feb.

2003, p 13+. Opposing Viewpoints in context

Farrell, Michael B. "Google Ends Internet Censorship, Dares China to Make Next Move."

Internet Censorship, edited by Margaret Haerens and Lynn M. Zott, Greenhaven Press, 2014.

Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context

"Internet Growth Statistics - the Global Village Online." Internet World Stats. N.p., n.d. Web. 25

Apr. 2017.

"Global Internet Freedom Act." Human and Civil Rights: Essential Primary Sources, edited by

Adrienne Wilmoth Lerner, et al., Gale, 2006, pp. 420-424. Opposing Viewpoints in Context

Herman, Arthur. "The United Nations Should Not Govern the Internet." Internet Censorship,

edited by Margaret Haerens and Lynn M. Zott, Greenhaven Press, 2014. Opposing

Viewpoints.

"Preface to 'Should the Internet Be Censored?'." Internet Censorship, edited by Margaret

Haerens and Lynn M. Zott, Greenhaven Press, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints.

Taylor, Adam. "60 percent of Russians think Internet censorship is necessary, poll finds."
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Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2016. Opposing Viewpoints in Context

"The Great Firewall of China; The communists can't keep 1.3 billion offline forever."

Washington Times [Washington, DC], 11 May 2011, . B02. Opposing Viewpoints in Context

"This African country is taking an unprecedented step in internet censorship." CNN Wire, 16

Sept. 2016. Opposing Viewpoints in Context