Internet as a Basic Right: Why You Should Care About Internet Censorship
We have discussed again and again how the internet is a tool which has given humanity a good chance to stay connected, share information, and be generally heard. Now, what if that was taken away from us?
Before we jump into that discussion, as always we would like to give you a rousing welcome! We are Fishnet and we your ever dedicated partner when it comes to the discourse about the use of the internet and the general World Wide Web! We are always here to give you pertinent information and tickle your brain with discussions that we feel more people should care about.
So let’s jump into it!
The Power of the Internet
The net allows people—no matter who it is or where they are—to share information online. This is particularly felt with the advent of social media. The popular platforms which rapidly share updates regarding political updates, new developments, and pretty much anything at all would be Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
A user who has caught on video an act of suppression or anything which could be construed as illegal can upload that video to their social media and it can go viral. This is important because often governing bodies will try to run a narrative if there is no one to speak against them. In the turbulent times that we have now, sometimes video is what we use to protect us.
In order to maximize the protection that we receive or to maximize the amount of people who know about this issue that is pertinent to us and all, that video needs to make use of the power of the internet. We’ve seen the internet move petitions and even turn over the well-rehearsed scrip that politicians have tried to pull. The net has made it very possible for activism to be alive and well.
So imagine if all of that gets taken away.
Internet Censorship
If you’re not sure what this means, take these key definitions with you. Internet censorship is:
- The absolute control and suppression of the net and its uses by a particular active body or organization whether it is the ruling government or a rogue terrorist organization.
- The active aggression toward any piece of information that is published and spread online. The persons who are held liable shall be forced to take down their content and will no longer be allowed to make use of the net for such purposes.
- The complete shutdown of the internet during political or social unrest
These are definitions that we have seen apply to several countries around the globe. Some of the countries which are quite notorious for this would be China and North Korea. In China, it is practically impossible to access public social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter as these are heavily censored and even banned.
Instead, people in China have to use a Chinese made application which mimics Facebook or other social media platforms and allows the government complete access to whatever it is that is being shared. If there was anyone who was going to share any piece of news or information that portrayed the present government in a negative light, it was pulled off the web and those that tried to upload it were met with strict repercussions.
If you’re thinking that this sort of thing doesn’t happen in the “modern” or western world, think again. Up to today, there have been massive and ongoing debates about whether or not the USA government should be allowed to completely monitor and regularize the internet and the information that is shared on it.
Why Should You Care About Internet Censorship
As a regular person that gets to enjoy unhampered access to the internet, it must be such a wonder what countries which censor the internet must be like. At the end of the day, it is even important to ask, why should you care about internet censorship at all? Well, here are a few good reasons for you to chew on:
Suppression of Information is NEVER Good
Whenever a governing body has complete control over what their citizens get to say—especially on a large and public scale like the internet—this is always a recipe for disaster. People who are being oppressed do not get to tell other people about their pain.
The reason why the internet is so feared by those who know they are doing something wrong is because international and online pressure is very real. When people are freely able to discuss and share injustices that they experience, it makes it very unlikely that the perpetrators will get away scot free. Accountability is something that most abusers wish to escape from. In order to prove that they are abusers, there needs to be proof.
If no one can share the proof, there is no case. This is the basic rule of law. When information is being suppressed somewhere in the world and when it is allowed to continue, we set a dangerous precedent for any wannabe dictator that this can be done as it has been successfully done before.
It Can Happen to You
The past couple of years or so, the topic of Net Neutrality is one which is thrown around a lot in both the USA and Europe. Net Neutrality is basically Tier 1 Censorship. If it is allow to pass your internet service providers will be able to access all your information and can decide which websites they can block you from accessing as it may deem to be competition for your ISP.
The internet is a tool for everyone. At this point in time, it is now considered to be an intrinsic right of a person to be given access to the internet. It is a freedom that many try to step upon. Wherever the topic of internet censorship is brought up, we implore you to speak out about this. It is not right that there are atrocities that get to fly under the radar of social consciousness simply because those being oppressed were not allowed to share the news about it.
Now we would like to pass a question off to you: what are your thoughts regarding internet censorship and why do you think more people should care about it?
