I just want us to question our assumptions. I think there are three major questions here:
1, Who has the right to legislate the internet?
2. Is China being singled out?
3. Is censorship of information good or bad?
The first two questions deal with matters of policy, while the third is evaluative. The internet obviously requires some legislation to protect copyright, children, and personal information. The frontier metaphor that dominated the World Wide Web is applicable here. Eventually laws and codes had to be instituted in the Wild West to control the violence and anarchy that existed in the absence of such things. The question in my mind is not whether we need laws but who has the right to determine internet legislation. Laws differ from country to country so that what is illegal in one place is legal in another. What makes the most sense is that countries have the right to govern internet usage within their borders. Therefore, I feel China is within its rights as a sovereign nation to make legislation and policy decisions that effect its citizens.
China is not alone in internet censorship. Most notably many Middle Eastern nations provide far reaching censorship of sexual content on the web. Again, these policies and laws are a reflection of the dominant Muslim culture of the region. Does the United States have a right to demand that they introduce internet pornography to their culture in the name of free speech? China seems to have been singled out for political reasons, both due to its high international profile and because its rapid urbanization stands in stark contrast to the conservative national policies the country holds.
I think the third question is a bit stickier and one with which most American’s have a problem. Censorship from an American perspective is bad. Our society is rooted in the value of free speech to the point that it is explicitly addressed in our constitution. I would not like to have my words censored or to have access to information restricted. However, I acknowledge that free speech has not been the historical norm and that our modern society is the exception rather than the rule. I value my free speech but I have a hard time imposing my value system on another culture.
Labels: China, internet regulation, net neutrality
