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Censorship On The Internet Annotated Bibliography

Censorship on the Internet Kaul, V. (2012). "The pros and cons of new media and media freedom." Journal of Mass Communication and Journalism, Vol. 2, Issue 5.

In his research study, author-researcher Kaul discussed the implications of using the Internet technology in launching what is called the new media, both in the context of journalistic/press freedom and freedom of expression of the civil society in general. More specifically, the author provided a comparison of the "old" (traditional) versus "new" (Internet/online) media, considering both as tools for freedom of expression, albeit the latter is more accessible. However, the article also discussed how the rise of the new media has not 'revolutionized' press freedom in some countries (namely, countries in South Asia and South Africa). What Kaul emphasized is the proliferation of new media as a replacement of old media, but without the expected improvement in press freedom. Instead, what occurred is a simple "transplantation" of old media to new media, maintaining the limited freedom in expression of the press and the general public.

Merlis, S. (2005). "Preserving the Internet expression while protecting our children: Solutions following Ashcroft v. ACLU." Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property, Vol. 4, Issue 1.

Merlis discussed in his analysis of the U.S. Congress' failed attempts to pass the Child Online...

COPA is the U.S. Congress' solution to ensure and monitor the flow of information and content over the Internet, particularly when individuals aged under 18 years old are using the technology. However, the Congress has failed to pass the COPA in the Supreme Court because the latter considered COPA as too stringent, bordering on curbing an individual's right to information and freedom of expression. Merlis supported the Supreme Court's recommendation to use filtering software to be used by parents/adults to effectively monitor the information/content that their children are able to see and access when they are online.
Faris, R., S. Wang, and J. Palfrey. (2008). "Censorship 2.0." innovations, Spring 2008.

Faris et al. made a compelling argument about the rapid proliferation of online-related content and exponential growth of Internet, both as a social community and a new form of economy. In discussing these benefits of the Internet, the authors also explored the ramifications of freedom to expression and information to society in general. At present, there is a need for governments to keep up with this exponential growth of the Internet. Further, there has been no evidence…

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The rise of the Internet as an influential and central source of information globally has even permeated countries such as China, wherein Internet content is highly regulated by the government. In the analysis conducted by Hom et al., the authors acknowledged that the Internet technology has spurred governments like the Chinese government to take radical actions to censor online content in the country, while at the same time, other countries, including developed ones in the North American and European regions, are confronting issues of "global governance" online. Thus, while the authors call for "relaxed control" of the Chinese government of online content as a form of recognizing human rights (the right to freedom of expression and right to information), they also recognize the need for governance of online content across all countries in the world taking advantage of and benefiting from Internet technology.

Karhula, P. (2011). "What is the effect of WikiLeaks for freedom of information?" International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).

Karhula centered his discussion on the issue of WikiLeaks as a case for analyzing freedom of expression and right to information using the online platform. In discussing the specifics of the WikiLeaks incident, Karhula argued that the WikiLeaks case is compelling in that it begs the question of whether information leakage about government conspiracies, inappropriate conduct, and even corruption would be best "leaked" or accessed through a public, online forum. The author questions if the WikiLeaks case actually contributes to the "kind of transparency which would support democracy and civil society." It is possible that while it gave online users the information it needed about specific political and economic issues of the world, it could also pose as a propaganda mechanism that seeks to discredit governments and public officials from various governments all over the world. At present, the WikiLeaks case remains a compelling case for governments and civil societies to scrutinize and rethink about the way information is regulated and proliferated online.
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