Internet and politics: influence and implications

Internet and Politics

What are the ways in which government sometimes tries to regulate or censor internet content? What are the problems with these efforts at regulation?

In recent times, cyberspace regulation has surfaced as a hot topic. The parameters and laws of cyberspace are principally defined by state-controlled Internet filtering. The governments and states exercise control over the Internet content at various levels. This power of governments over the Internet has dispelled the outlook of Internet as democratic architecture, out of the governmental influences. There is no single state in the world right now that permits its citizens an absolutely unhampered accessibility to information (Tariq).

The Internet censorship by the governments can be described as "the control or suppression of the publishing or accessing of information on the Internet" (Alsayegh, Lee & Thompson). The censorship of internet content by the governments has taken several forms and ranges. Firstly, some governments block any political content that opposes it or its policies. Content related to human rights, freedom of expression, rights of minority or religion is also included in matter available on Internet that governments tend to censor. Secondly, any social-centered content that the general population might see as unpleasant including pornography, gambling, prohibited drugs is also censored by a large number of governments. Thirdly, content associated with armed conflicts, border disputes, radical groups and nationalist movements is also scrutinized keenly and is censored by the state (Rininsland, 2012). However, the censorship of Internet content depends entirely on the country's ethics, principles, morality, beliefs and values. This is the reason why there exists a different degree of censorship in every country.

As the world has advanced in technology, the access to information by a common man has become simpler and easier. The Internet, in particular, has emerged as a tool that has brought added information to more people around the globe. Nevertheless, it seems reasonable that most of the governments have regulated the censorship of content it provides. The easy accessibility to the content related to pornography and bomb making has presented a somewhat negative side of the Internet. As it presents a wide variety of controversial content, governments are constantly debating over what material to censor and what to remain uncensored.

With the progression of the Internet, it is highly required that the content and integrity of the available information be scrutinized and censored. The Internet censorship guidelines must be implemented by the governments as they are probably the most dependable, strongest and consistent source for censorship. However, the constantly increasing data on the Internet makes it a problem for most of the governments as they try to effectively regulate it (Alsayegh, Lee & Thompson).

As the technology is advancing day by day, it is exceedingly important for the governments to step and bowdlerize the Internet. The best a government can do in this regard is to designate a particular department the analysis, inspection, repression, and enforcement of the rules and regulations. It is also important that the private companies should not be hired by the governments to police and implement the Internet censorship rules because such companies have different outlines and standards (Alsayegh, Lee & Thompson).