Controversy: Government Regulating The Internet

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"Government Regulating the Internet Whether or not the government should regulate the Internet is not just a simple yes or no question. This issue is a very controversial topic with valid points from both sides. Allowing all information to be unmonitored and accessed by the world brings the risk of harmful or incriminating information being shared as well. Should any privacy users have on the Internet be destroyed by monitoring all searches, just to prevent a small minority from using the Internet for bad purposes? Although no single answer exists, the Internet should be monitored to search for criminal activity and to keep gory information off of children’s computers. Internet searches should be monitored, but only to a degree. People …show more content…

There are many web-filtering programs that block certain items related to controversial topics. Before 2011, software was developed to block items related to LGBT issues as well as online LGBT support groups aimed towards the youth. Many of these programs were installed onto computers in schools. Websites such as GLSEN, the Gay-Straight Alliance Network, along with websites linked to LGBT anti-bullying resources were being blocked. The issue with schools blocking certain websites is still a problem today. For example, students in AP science classes are being blocked from accessing important information to study and prepare for the exams. Classes cannot search up controversial topics on school computers. There are also filters that block websites related to the National Organization for Women and Quakers. The intense filtering of school computers is beginning to jeopardize childrens’ education. Filtering out important information is not protecting children like it was intended to do, but is instead harming them. The reason why this is such an important issue is because families with a lower income are least likely to have other devices beyond those provided by schools or libraries. This means that if the school system is filtering certain content, children belonging to poorer families ultimately do not get the same Internet and abilities as more privileged students. Students should be able to access the same information, regardless of the family they come from (TheAtlantic). This issue of Internet freedom is also related to the topic of net neutrality. Without net neutrality, companies can observe and censor any information that has been sent or received online; this includes websites, email, videos, phone calls, or data from games and social media. Using that information, companies can pay to interfere with Internet usage. Businesses can

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