Ever since the internet first came into existence there have been attempts to censor it. A lot of people believe that the internet should be a place where all information is allowed to flow freely. Clearly the governments of most countries do not share this belief. These days the internet is censored to some extent pretty much everywhere. The reasons for this censorship may vary between countries. One reason however is to block sites that belong to terrorist groups and other extremists.
Is this a violation of the freedom of expression or should the censorship continue to occur on extremist sites?
Firstly, I would like to clarify exactly what is meant by extremist groups. Extremism is any ideology or political act that is considered to violate society’s moral standards. In democratic societies, these individuals or groups advocate their view in a dogmatic, violent way which aims to replace democracy with an inflexible authoritarian regime.
With the increase in technology, extremist groups have been able to use the internet as a very powerful tool. It provides the means to reach an international audience, to recruit members and to link extremist groups. It also allows members from around the globe to collaborate making their force even stronger. Besides the internet, the media in general is attracted by extreme terrorist acts, not only because it is their duty to report on any major event but also because the dramatic and spectacular aspect of terrorism fascinates the general public. Today’s terrorists exploit this and act in a way that will attract maximum attention around the world.
Terrorism should not affect freedom of expression and information in the media as this is one of the essential foundations of democratic society. This freedom carries with it the right of the public to be informed on matters of public concern, including terrorist acts and threats, as well as the response by the state and international organisations to them. However people want to feel safe. How far can these groups go before they need to be investigated and shut down? For instance, the Christmas Day bomber, who attempted to blow up a jetliner over Detroit, was recruited via the Internet and trained in just six weeks. Similarly, Philadelphia resident, Colleen LaRose assumed the name Jihad Jane online and used YouTube and other Internet sites to post communications about staging attacks in the United States, Europe and South Asia, in just a few days.
The big question is, “How do we respect individual freedom and access, yet find those who abuse the Internet and stop them before they act, resulting in a life-shattering event?”
If these groups are not censored and are allowed to exist, it does allow governments to access vital information about possible attacks or protests. However, they need to be creative in the way they enforce laws for the small number of people who take advantage of the internet to cause harm. For the rest of us, we need to make sure that the security on our computers is set to censor these sites, especially for the easily impressionable minds of our children.
If only it could be as Rheingold believed, that cyberspace would bring great democracy, equity and eliminate difference. However, even though the methods of communication and interaction have changed, that doesn’t mean that the people who use them have.
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