Is Filtering the Internet an Unjust Form of Censor Essays

Is Filtering the Internet an Unjust Form of Censorship? Let's say that you're the greatest player in basketball but cannot play. Alternatively, how about giving a million dollars to someone and telling them their not allowed to spend it? That's how it would feel like filters are put on the internet. The exact definition of censorship according to Merriam-Webster is "the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable or a threat to security." Now that seems an awful lot like putting filters on the internet. Suppressing or prohibiting information from the people. Instead of the government allowing the citizens to make decisions for themselves they put information that shines in favor of them. Not only that, this doesn't allow people to gain knowledge of what is going on during school. Ultimately, it shows how the government is deceiving people. Instead of limiting the amount people see, they should have access to make decisions for themselves. An authoritarian type style, for the internet some may say. These filters make it so that people are none the wiser when it comes to issues since they've only shown the side that favors the government. For example, in North Korea, the government blocks all outside information. Instead making their own websites and allowing the people to see those, limited to North Koreans. Only those who are permitted with authorization are allowed to use the internet. All communication websites to contact the outside world are blocked in North Korea. According to Fox News, "Pyongyang's solution is a two-tiered system where the trusted elite can surf the Internet with relative freedom while the masses are kept inside the national intranet, painstakingly sealed off from the outside world, meticulously surveilled and built in no small part on pilfered software." Which essentially means that only people with an excellent status are allowed to use the internet with its full capabilities while the rest must use the intranet. North Koreans aren't able to make up their minds for themselves since the government has already done that for them. "Knowledge is Power," a great quote said by Sir Francis Bacon. It remains true to this day. The knowledge that now you cannot get without the internet. Well if the internet is filtered how will people be able to know? Filtering school's internet is horrible since it not chosen sites but by the words that the site may use. Students searching "breast cancer" aren't able to search on the school internet since it's be blocked. Even searching up chicken breast wouldn't show up because the school had blocked the word from being searched on the internet. So from not being able to search up a serious condition or food students are having access to the information. Another concern is how children may not know the real word and only the "swear" version of it. HIV is transmitted through oral sex, so instead of searching up "fellatio" the student may search up "blow job" instead, which would, of course, would be blocked. Finally, kids with home internet access will be more aware of these sexu al diseases instead of the ones who depend on the school internet. The knowledge that they are missing out on because of the filters making it censorship. The problem with being confined to only a certain amount of information is that it's the only information that they know. For example, eating soap is right for you is information found on a site. Now, of course, that information is incorrect, however since that outside information is not allowed, eating soap is right for them. Making the government able to give out all the information that they want out. According to Slate, "All news originates from the same government propaganda bureau, photographs and video of Kim are tightly coordinated, and there are absolutely no independent media." Making it so that only their information provided to the people of North Korea. Therefore, misleading information from the government is just another way to call censorship. In conclusion, putting filters on the internet is an unjust form of censorship. The government is only creating the illusion that the people make their own decisions when