7 Advantages and Disadvantages of Internet Censorship

Internet censorship is a contentious issue. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of internet censorship.

List of Advantages of Internet Censorship

1. Good for Underage Kids
The biggest advantage of internet censorship is protecting the rights of minors. Kids are not considered matured enough to choose what they see or what kind of content they access. This is why television shows, movies and games are certified to find the appropriate audience. Kids get exposed to porn, violent videos and all kinds of unnerving content which are not only unpleasant but they can prove to be very discomforting and unsettling for a child’s psyche.

2. Protecting the Rights of Women and Children
Internet censorship aimed at protecting rights of women, children and animals has many advantages. Naming and shaming women, videos of kids being bullied, cruelty against animals and myriad types of real but gruesome contents are available and circulated online which are clearly unacceptable. There are also dedicated attempts to malign the reputations of people, most notably trying to embarrass women by sharing leaked photos and videos.

3. Enhanced Cyber Security
Internet censorship will help cyber security of a country. Law enforcement agencies will be able to keep an unfailing focus on everything that is happening and will be able to prevent crimes or stop them at various phases of development. Websites are banned, digital interfaces are taken down and criminal proceedings are executed against organizations misusing the internet but there are still fraud transactions, identity thefts and the huge deep dark web. Internet censorship may make the virtual world a safer place.

4. Insulating Radical Notions
From Arab Spring to the growth of ISIS, the internet has been used for many positive and negative objectives. Arab Spring may have appeared to be empowering but it lead a country to an unsparing mess. ISIS is growing even today and influencing people around the world. Radical notions cannot be thwarted with internet censorship but one can at least insulate them and prevent them from affecting or inspiring people around the world.

List of Disadvantages of Internet Censorship

1. Not Pragmatic
The biggest problem with internet censorship is that it is perhaps impossible to do. Does anyone really know how to censor the internet in its totality? Banning a website is doable but it may crop up using another proxy server or domain name. You cannot block the whole galactic network unless you simply taken down the service providers.

2. Violates Rights
Internet censorship can be influenced. Truth may be kept away from the public. It can lead to propagandas serving special interests. In any case the government cannot decide or whoever the authority is as to what people want to read, watch or access, as long as it is not illegal.

3. Bad for Economy
Internet censorship may be bad for the economy. The government will have to spend much more. Businesses will have to bear the brunt of the fallout.

Author Bio
Natalie Regoli is a child of God, devoted wife, and mother of two boys. She has a Master's Degree in Law from The University of Texas. Natalie has been published in several national journals and has been practicing law for 18 years.