The Internet is nowadays a vital component of people’s lives, and living without it is virtually impossible today. Recently, several controversies have emerged regarding the appropriate use of the Internet and the need for the government to regulate its use. In response to bills like PROTECT IP Act and Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), Americans have been indulging in debates about the need for a regulated Internet. The US government believes in the concept of “net neutrality”, which involves maintaining a free and open Internet (Schewick 1). Net neutrality requires cable and phone companies that provide Internet services to avoid blocking legal online contents from users and to stop degrading websites unfairly. This paper holds that the Internet should be free from government control. According to President Obama’s Plan (n.p.), the US government identifies the Internet as “a public utility,” and it is from this point of view that the government favors regulation of the Internet. The government believes that people should be in a position to access their favorite online services and sites without any service provider blocking them. President Obama states that protected net neutrality would eliminate any “gatekeeper” like the phone or cable companies that restrict and monitor …show more content…
To begin with, when the government censors and regulates the Internet, online content would undergo a series of scrutiny to comply with government’s definition of what a good content constitutes. Perceptibly, such scenarios would violate the American’s right to free speech and freedom of expression in the press. In addition, Americans have varying choices and views on what is offensive or good (Schewick 1). If the government decides to regulate the Internet, then the decision on the online content that is unpleasant or nice would be a