The Role Of Internet Censorship In The US And China

This essay looks at what is meant by the term ‘Internet censorship’ and the different methods of censorship. It also analyses Internet censorship in the US and China and the various ways censorship is or isn't used by the respective governments.

By 2014, more than three billion people access the Internet, which makes it the most wide reaching and (arguably) most effective tool of communication used by approximately forty-two percent of the worlds population. (Internet Usage Statistics, n.d.) Before an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of Internet censorship can occur, an outline of what Internet censorship actually is, and the different types of censorship currently used must be given. There are two main views on what the effect

However there is also the argument that the Internet is not nearly as incorruptible and implacable as scholars like Warf suggest since (authoritarian) governments have shown to have just as much of an proficiency at using the Internet (and technology in general) as their own citizens. (Lake, 2009) Both arguments highlight why governments may want to be able to control their citizens access to the Internet; in fact Lake’s (2009) argument is that the Internet isn't unbiased purely because governments can control their ‘section’ of the Internet. That being said, a breakdown of what Internet censorship actually is, is necessary. Warf (2011) considers Internet censorship to be “the strategies and tactics deployed by states the world over to limit access and shape the

In 2010, China had more than 420 million Internet users, and is generally considered to be the worlds most severe. (Kahn, 2002) The Communist Party of China has long exerted uncompromising restriction over the flow of information both in and out of the country, a task that the Ministry of Information Industry (MII) and the Ministry of State Security both have responsibility for. The Chinese government actually support citizens using the Internet, as long as the Internet is used in ways the government supports (such as no negative opinions expressed about the government, and using Chinese versions of banned websites - Renren and Weibo instead of Facebook and Twitter). Perhaps surprisingly, when the Internet first came to China the government had very few regulations or censors in place, but as blog and chat rooms became popular among Chinese users as a way to air criticism of their government, the government tightened control of their cyber territory in response. (Bi 2001; Hachigian 2001) In fact for the first decade of Internet usage it is plausible to argue that the Internet strengthened the government’s control, but as more Chinese citizens became Internet users the Internet began to be seen as a threat to the governments wish for a “harmonious society.” (OpenNet Initiative, 2005, cited in