Internet Should Not Be Censore

I do not agree with censorship of the internet. The regulation of information on the internet takes away people’s right to free speech, which violates the First Amendment. Any material should be allowed on the internet because it is up to each individual to decide whether or not to view it. “The Internet is something that most of us buy access to and which we then choose to surf on our own” (Marrin, Witneyer, and Gleser). People have control over the material they and their children can access. It is the parent’s responsibility to control and limit their children’s access to the internet, not the government.

One of the main reasons for censorship is that material on the internet can be harmful to children. “Like radio, movies, and TV before it, the Internet has raised concern about its possible negative impact on children. Teaching your children how to use this technology and to make wise choices is one of the most important things a parent can do” (American Library Association). Parents should take the responsibility for keeping harmful things away from their children. They could interact more with their children, and supervise them when they log onto the internet. They could place the computer in a room where they could easily monitor the child’s usage. “Spending time online with your children is the best way both to learn about the Internet and to teach your children responsibility, good conduct, and the values that are important to you” (American Library Association). There are other alternatives to censorship which can prevent children from the access of the illicit material. Some of the Internet Service Providers will automatically block obscene content from reaching a computer. Some offer parental account controls, which allow the parent to decide what web sites a child can visit or whether or not they chat with others online. Logging software is also available, which allows parents to trace the activities of a child.

Marrin, Ford, Esposito Witneyer, and L.L.P. Gleser. “Can Congress Censor the Internet”? New York, New York, July 1997.

The First Amendment gives us the right to say what we want, but our freedom of speech is not protected when it comes to indecency. The Communication Decency Act (CDA) was the government’s first attempt at censoring speech on the internet. “The Internet can also be a source of indecent material. To prevent such material from reaching children, Congress in 1996 passed the Communication Decency Act, which made it a federal crime to use the Internet to transmit obscene material to someone under eighteen years of age or to post material in a way that made it available to minors” (Patterson 113). The CDA was passed in 1966, and was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1997. The Child Online Protection Act (COPA) made it a crime for anyone on the internet to make a communication for commercial purposes that was harmful to minors, unless the person had restricted access by requiring a form of age verification. “The Children’s Online Protection Act uses well-established definitions and constitutional precedents to address a funding issue, not a free-speech issue. It provides a reasonabl

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