Internet censorship has been a topic worldwide for quite some time now. With more and more countries deciding to update their regulation policies and limit what users can do and access online, it’s only natural to ask ourselves how far internet censorship will go. See in this article the impact and cost effects of internet shutdowns and restrictions and how far this censorship will go.
The internet is a valuable tool that we can use for so many good things, but it’s also true that some people abuse this power. There’s a lot of false information and many negative and disturbing things you can easily find online. This is just one of the reasons why there’s talk of a new internet era pretty soon.
The Internet Censorship Ways
1. The Internet Censorship Situation Today
It is safe to say that we have already entered the era of the impact of internet restrictions and censorship. The only difference is the degree of censorship around the world. Most Eastern countries are stricter regarding censoring their internet, while most Western first-world countries don’t edit the internet that much.
That said, it is clear that the biggest problem is the issue of piracy. Downloading copyrighted media from the internet is illegal worldwide.
From this, we can see that censorship is something the law enforces. As well as that, some countries use sophisticated filter technology to censor the World Wide Web. In others, internet speed is also significantly slower, all in the hopes of preventing people from downloading copyrighted items.
2. What Social Media Says
Social media is a standard part of our lives. Since most people spend so much of their day on social media, we can expect some degree of these cost effects from shutdowns and censorship to hit that part of the internet. Is it already happening? Well, things are in motion on some platforms.
Mainly, we’re talking about Facebook. This is the largest social network out there, and it counts millions of users who all use it for different purposes.
The top place for sharing fake news and videos promoting suicide comes from Facebook. With these things in mind, the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, has stated that he’s on board with the new regulation process.
According to him, four areas of the network need improving. That is, data portability, privacy, content, and election integrity. It may be safe to say that new changes are coming to Facebook soon.
3. What People Are Doing
With the talk of censorship being more and more present, so is the talk of overcoming it. People are looking for new ways to overcome censorship and embrace internet freedom. After all, people will always find ways to see and say what they want online. Big corporations are losing some of their customers as people trust them less and less.
The popularity of used and refurbished smartphones is on the rise. This might even be because of stricter piracy laws. People are simply saving money where they can because some realize that winning the copyright debate in the name of freedom is hopeless.
As always, conspiracy theories are being formed, which might also be why some refuse to use new phones. Whether it’s convenience or rebellion, it’s safe to say that the feelings on censorship are mixed. Some believe their kids deserve a safer, higher-quality internet, while others say censorship violates internet freedom.
4. What the Future Brings
The future seems to bring the same mixed feelings that we see among people today. The internet is one of the most successful and useful things mankind has ever come up with, but it’s also true that it’s a victim of its success. As it has made communication easier, it’s also made spreading false and dangerous information much easier.
On the one hand, countries worldwide are trying to take control of the web and filter it completely. It seems the right thing to do, especially since more sophisticated tools are being developed for censorship.
On the other hand, some other big corporations like Google openly support the side of the free internet. Others even say there’s a possibility of developing tools to overcome censorship and give people the freedom of speech that seems to be taken away from them.
We don’t know which side will win, but indeed, this is a concern that’s going to be solved shortly. Those who live off the internet and depend on their users staying online should prioritize honesty and originality.
You don’t have to fear censorship if your information is clean and vetted. This should be enough to keep businesses afloat as the situation develops.
Conclusion
From the dawn of time, people have been debating about the good of censorship. It’s clear that nothing has changed but what we’re trying to censor. We are yet to see whether there will be two internets in the future- a censored and uncensored one. All we can do now is weigh the good and the bad and see how we can improve.
Only time will prove whether censorship is the best answer for improvement or if it’s completely useless. The best you can do now is stay clean and deliver only original and quality information to your users. We hope this article about the impact and cost effects of internet shutdowns and restrictions and how far this censorship will go has helped you.
