Image bungee jumping without a bungee cord, that is the internet without censorship. Internet censorship involves the editing of the content that people can access the internet. Internet censorship may be due to various reasons. These reasons include a particular moral obligation to self and society, preventing information leakage, for instance, military tactics and operations. Another reason may be the prevention of the dire consequences that may come as a result of sharing some information among others.
People who think that internet censorship does not limit free speech may have developed this bias because internet censorship limits access to dangerous sites on the internet. Such as sites involved in illegal weapons or drugs, sex trafficking, and buying and selling of stolen goods and products (Hamade 17). The criminals involved in such shameful acts have no platform to do their illegal businesses because of internet censorship.
Criminals have been stopped and arrested because of the censorship of social media and the internet. The censorship find these videos or posts on the internet, without the censorship law enforcement did not find the problem in the first place, the internet provides enough evidence to law enforcement to help catch criminals.
An example of prevention of illegal activity is when Melvin Colon “who is facing charges of murder, along with weapons and narcotics-related crimes”(CNN, 2-3). He posted incriminating posts that one of his Facebook friends agreed to give access to this information to the police. Another Facebook user by the name Darrin Anderson was arrested for engaging in illicit sexual conduct with underages girls and was sentenced to 12 years in jail. These criminals have been stopped and arrested because of the censorship of social media and the internet.
Censorship can prevent the spread of radical ideologies. The heated speech of Adolph Hitler influenced millions of people to commit crimes against humanity. Hate speech these days is all over the Internet. Fueled by trolls, extremists, false information, the hate speech violates the rights of individuals and the community. The expression that discriminates against others because of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and religion must be censored. Hate speech can lead to hate crimes like as it happened, in South Carolina when Dylann Roof, murdered Robert Bowers, and others. (Caroline Knorr, 11)
Over the years, it has been debatable whether the censorship of the internet limits free speech or not. As much as internet censorship has its advantages, it comes with disadvantages and setbacks that are a result of keeping the public in the dark. People who think that internet censorship does not limit free speech believe that internet censorship is necessary. The government can filter some of the information on the internet, internet censoring can prevent information leakage, for instance, military tactics and operations. The release of secret information to the public may lead to military or political instability.
The censorship of the Internet is important to prevent the spread of dangerous sites. It prevents site that does gun trafficking/ illegally selling weapons, sells drugs, sex trafficking, and buying and selling of stolen goods and products. Censorship finds these videos or posts of the criminals on the internet. It and also provides evidence to law enforcement to help catch criminals that do the illegal activity on social media and on the internet. Censorship can prevent the spread of radical ideologies that can create a dangerous attack on citizens. This is why the censoring of the Internet is important to do these days so that it can prevent and limit crimes that can happen.