Free Speech and Cyber Space

Free Speech and Cyber Space

Annotated Bibliography

Carr, J. & Hilton, Z. (2009). Child protection and self-regulation in the internet industry: the UK

experience. Children & Society. National Children's Bureau. 23. 303-308. The UK has been successful in apprehending child predators because of restricting access on the internet. Internet providers have done little to stop the spread and sharing of sexual images of children online. Self-regulation has been the most successful tool in the fight against online predators and needs to be continued and furthered.

Frechette, J. (2005, Spring). Cyber-democracy or cyber-hegemony? Exploring the political and economic structures of the internet as an alternative source of information. Library Trends. In this article, the author finds that the internet has the power to provide information, but also do harm as in cases where children have been targeted by predators. The best way to protect children is through filtering systems which block content from every being shown to children. That being said, there is a line to be drawn when it comes to government involvement in limitation of access online as some argue it becomes an issue of free speech and of hindering the free market economy.

Gyorgy, P. (2002). The tale of cookies (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde). Social Research. 69(1). 239-

245. Online people have a level of anonymity that they do not possess in reality. This has benefits and detriments as it leads people to behaviors that they might not commit if there were consequences. Given privacy for their online activities leads people to look up things or become involved in things which they know are not actually acceptable.

Part 2: Reflective Diary -- Free Speech and Content Controls in Cyber Space

There are positives and negatives to almost any situation and a person or group of people have to decide if the good outweighs the potential dangers of a course of action or object before making a decision. With regard to the internet, there is no doubt that its invention has changed the way of life for all people on the planet who have access to it. People can literally be online twenty-four hours a day if they choose. They can go on their computers, on their phones, on tablets, and even on their glasses. Every western life for the most part includes the internet in some way, either for work or social interaction or research or pleasure. Few people go a full day or even a few hours without logging on and going on some website or the other either to progress or learn or simply to goof off.

There are many positives associated with the Internet. Information which in the past could only be ascertained by mulling through moldy books for hours or days on end can be gotten in the click of a few buttons. People can communicate with family and friends even at very long distances without having to pay exorbitant amounts for long-distance calls. Disabled people who are socially isolated have a means of contacting others like themselves. Kids struggling with their homework can receive help from their classmates or get instant feedback from others. There are also the more personal aspects of a person's life which are taken care of by Internet access.

Of course, there are a myriad of issues with the internet which are not nearly so positive. People have organized crimes on the internet, have planned them out and sought out individuals to help them with their plans. White-collar criminals have used the internet to defraud people of their money. People illegally download everything from movies to music and video games so they do not have to pay for them by going to the store and buying them legally. Whenever someone goes online, they release information of a kind to the rest of the world. Those who have put their credit card or social security information online either for purchasing things or for applications has had their identities stolen.

Children are particularly at risk for victimization while online. Again, they have had identities stolen, but also many have become the victims of child predators, adults who stalk children online usually through social media of some kind and lure them into a physical meeting where they can be abducted, sexually victimized, and then many wind up dead. Those who do not actually have meetings with these predators have been convinced to pose for sexual photographs and in various stages of undress. These people then share their exploits or photos and films with other like-minded people all via the anonymity granted them by their computers.