June 2010 Edition
Computer Science Department, University of Cape Town
| MSc-IT Study Material June 2010 Edition Computer Science Department, University of Cape Town |
Table of Contents
Accessing the Internet is easy. All it requires is a computer, a telecommunications connection, a modem and a browser.
However, providing access to the Internet at work might mean that employees misuse the Internet during office hours. For instance, an employee might make purchases from various Web sites. Providing Internet access at home might mean that children are exposed to information that parents might consider harmful. However, not providing access to the Internet might exclude people from the benefits of the vast information on the Internet. It might be better, then, to filter the websites to ensure the 'right' information is accessible to people such as children and employees. It is also possible for communities to filter out information that they consider 'inappropriate'.
Freedom of Speech is a fundamental human right in many countries. In the United States it is the first and most important amendment to the Constitution. Other countries have legislated Freedom of Speech and Information in other ways. The other side of the censorship coin is the freedom of information, and it is important that we do not suppress this right in our zeal to, for instance, prevent children from viewing pornography.
The object of this activity is to consider what material different authorities would censor.
Make a table with four columns as shown. We have started the table for you to show the kinds of responses required.
The main types of authority are:
Parental — authority over their children.
Employer — authority over their employees in the workplace.
Government — authority over a country.
International — authority over the international community.
| Parental | Employer | Government | International |
|---|---|---|---|
Pornographic Material | Games | Violent Material | Terrorist Newsgroups |
Fill in as many types of Web content that you can think of that the authority concerned could be interested in censoring. You may duplicate material types in different columns.
The following are some of the reasons supporting censorship given by various experts and opinion groups. Feel free to disagree with these, or even to add new ones. Censorship is a contentious issue and a wide range of viewpoints exist on the topic.
Parents: While parents would like their children to benefit from educational Web sites, children can also be easily influenced by the content they find on the Web. In particular, parents want to prevent their children from accessing adult material.
Employers: Employees given Web access may surf the Net during office hours. The cost of the connection is paid for by the employer, and unwanted surfing could lower productivity. Corporate liability may be threatened if employees view inappropriate and/or offensive material.
Pressure groups: An increasing number of independent groups want to deter the publication of offensive material on the Web. They search the Web for sites which they find offensive, such as pornography sites, sites for weapon sales, and hate campaigns. They then campaign for the removal of such sites.
Legal: Many countries have laws that limit the material that may be communicated by electronic means. It is important to consider the laws not only of your own country, but also those that apply in country of the target audience.