Internet Censorship

Currently, Google and other popular search engines are struggling with the idea of when censorship is acceptable. According to an article published on WashingPost.com Google Israel Head Rejects Censor Role, journalist Regan Doherty reports Meir Band refused to remove anti-Semitic material from its search results. Google believes the right for people to view controversial material is more powerful than the harm the content might bring. Google said they only remove content from their search results when it is ordered by a court. An example of a possible removable site would be a copyright infringement. Not everyone agrees. According to Christopher Wolf, chairman of the International Network Against Cyberhate, "The law is simply one tool in the toolbox for dealing with hate speech” (Doherty). He believes that the internet industry (i.e. Google) should remove litigious material voluntarily. I agree with him that the law is only a tool in dealing with hate speech-not the end all, yet I believe he is completely off base about Google having to voluntarily remove things. The task is too big, and too problematic. It would also infringe on internet users rights all over the world.

Although, I despise hate filled material they should remain accessible. If Google removed anti-Semitic material from Israeli viewers, experts predict there could be a “spillover” effect. Since the web works on a world wide scale, citizens of other countries would not be able to view the material either. Therefore if every government protested some form of material, the internet would be significantly more hampered and less educational than it is now. Recently, I did a project on hate groups which required me to go to contentious websites. It was beneficial for me, because I was able to use primary sources in my paper. Further, it would futile to try to remove racist material from the internet. Individuals are able to create new websites too easily. If one is taken off, it will just reappear under a different user name. Also, police and other law enforcement agencies often monitor these controversial websites to make sure nothing radical is being planned. If the websites are harder to access, they wouldn’t be able to do this. I could not be more proud of my favorite search engine. Google believes firmly in the rights of internet users which is a good thing for everyone.