What good is the internet if we can’t use it?

Week after week, I am astonished at the consistent power play that riddles every innovation introduced to the world. The internet as I’ve been discussing is one such innovation that still serves those who are concerned with the bottom line but also perhaps aims to protect their own sense of security. An example that was discussed in depth was the stringent filtering of online content that is ongoing in China, primarily the lack of Western social media site Facebook. On the one hand, an outsider may view this resistance as harsh, for the people of China, however perhaps considering that once information in the form of words, pictures, music and other intelligible pieces are put up on the internet they can easily be accessed by anyone, most importantly even after removal or deletion. Resistance thereby meaning that intelligence does not leak from the everyday citizen inadvertently, protecting the country. I am not taking sides but love to play devil’s advocate at times, and seek both sides of the story before taking a particular stand. Therefore, it’s important to consider that filtering is contextual, and while China refuse facebook, in Western society filtering content especially in regards to those which pertain to criminal activity needs constant monitoring and regulation to ensure that criminal activity, is not being carried out in the online sphere. What I refer to mostly is child pornography, which needs to be monitored, filtered from the internet and have consequences for those who may access these types of websites. It is important because these sites have a direct impact on children, who are the most vulnerable members of society and need protection. The moral and or ethical issues, that surround the internet are vast and while these two examples demonstrate somewhat different examples of filtering, I think that it needs to be taken seriously, on a case by case basis and contextually so as to protect those who need it but also allow for individuals to express their freedoms through platforms that are most accessible to them.