Censorship and restriction of the internet have become increasingly common tools used by governments around the world to control their populations. The internet has become a powerful tool for communication and information sharing. As such, it has the potential to disrupt the existing social order and therefore impose a significant threat to governments. In this article, I’ll review the major ways governments use internet blockage, restriction, and censorship and thereby disproportionately and unreasonably restrict the human rights of their residents and citizens, all in order to control the population and oppress attempts to implement social and political changes.
One of the most significant ways censorship and restriction of the internet are used to control the population is by restricting access to information. Many governments block or restrict access to certain websites, such as social media platforms, objective news, or messaging apps. By restricting access to these sources of information, governments can limit the ability of the population to access information that may challenge the government’s narrative or expose the population to new (and possibly revolutionary) ideas.
Another way censorship and restriction of the internet are used to control the population is by restricting freedom of speech. One of the most severe modern phenomena is the governments’ monitoring of online conversations, social media posts, and messaging apps, even of their own citizens. In darker regimes, individuals who speak out against the government or its policies may be harassed or even prosecuted. This restriction of the freedom of speech and the risks involved in speaking out against the government prevent people from expressing their grievances and making their voices heard, further entrenching the power of the government.
Censorship and restriction of the internet also rely on the use of surveillance to control the population. Internet surveillance is enabled due to the TCP/IP protocol, which underlies Web 2.0. The TCP/IP protocol assigns each device accessing the internet a number based on its physical location, enabling sophisticated and powerful organizations such as governments to monitor internet activity and collect the personal data of individual users. The use of surveillance creates a chilling effect, making people afraid to speak out against the government or its policies for fear of being tracked down and punished.
Censorship and restriction of the internet may also rely on laws, regulations, and technical measures to control the population. These measures may include laws that criminalize certain types of online speech, that require internet service providers or specific websites to monitor and filter content or to provide the government access to information on users, that ban certain types of websites, or technical measures such as deep packet inspection to identify and block certain types of traffic. These measures help maintain the government’s control over the population and prevent people from accessing information and communicating freely. Recent examples of such laws and regulations include the blockage of pornographic websites by the Iraqi newly elected government and the MR5 regulations that became effective recently and, among other problematic measures, require any operator of digital business in Indonesia to register with a governmental authority and provide direct access to electronic systems and data to the government upon request.
Restriction of websites restricts not only the users’ fundamental human rights but also the rights of websites and digital business owners. In addition to the restriction of the websites’ owners’ freedom of speech, governments also restrict their freedom of contracts, property, and occupation by restricting them from engaging in the lines of business they choose and ceasing or blocking access to websites, applications and technologies they developed with their hard-earned funds. These rights are material in any society in order to enable people to improve their social and financial status.
In conclusion, censorship and restriction of the internet have become increasingly common tools used by governments around the world to control their populations. By restricting access to information, restricting the freedom of speech, using surveillance, manipulating information, and using laws, regulations, and technical measures, governments can maintain control and prevent people from challenging the status quo. It’s important to note that these practices may not be exclusive to authoritarian regimes, and some democratic countries also use them for different reasons.
tomi aspires to change this by stripping the governments from their power to monitor, control, and block websites and users and transfer the control over the internet to the community – the actual internet users.
by slimcow
