"Fake Opinion" essay

Here is my “fake opinion” on regulation of the internet. It is this essay which you should make longer comments on. Your comments on the next essay (Heroes) can be very brief.

Protecting the Internet, Protecting Ourselves

The internet has dramatically changed shape of the world in only a few short years. Since the internet boom, the world has grown smaller and people closer as information becomes not only easier to access, but increasingly easier to distribute. While such development has its advantages, it also means the internet is growing exponentially, uncontrollably, and becoming incomprehensibly complicated. Nowadays the average user can write anything. It is clear that censorship and regulation are needed before we completely lose control of the internet. Governments should take steps to ensure that the quality of internet content is safe, valuable, and beneficial to all.

The internet is full of false information; at the same time, however, the internet is one of the foremost research tools of our modern time. Although some internet sites control their content carefully and are quick to change mistakes, most go unchecked for weeks or even months. Inaccurate information is often cited by students in research papers, and with no way to tell the difference between sites with accurate information and sites with useless information. Clearly there is a need for quality control to ensure that internet users can trust the information they find.

Another growing problem with the internet is ability of nearly anyone to say anything. While website building and publishing skills were once held only by individuals with specialized training, now, particularly with the introduction of blog and cheap domains, even someone with minimal computer skills can build an impressive website. While this does make it easy and convenient to make websites, it also means that anyone with a strong opinion can publish it with no limits. Site owners can defame a political candidate, or distribute lies about a company with which they are dissatisfied. The “convenience” of the internet makes it convenient for someone to say anything about anyone. Giving people greater opportunities to express themselves to a wider audience might seem like an expansion of our free speech, but in reality, without proper regulation it is merely an opportunity for some people to spread lies more effectively.

Many might feel that government control of the internet is a violation of our free speech rights; however, the majority of negative content would be unacceptable almost any situation other than the internet. Profanity and untruths would be banned from television, as they would be from printed media. Some content that is being distributed freely would be subject to legal action had they been delivered through any method other than the internet. Government “control” should not be viewed as a limitation on our freedom, or an overextension of government power; these controls would be a way of protecting the integrity of the internet on which we now all depend.

The rapid expansion and development of the internet has many advantages. Speed, convenience, and variety of content have all been improved upon in the last few years and will continue to develop in the future. As our lives become more dependent on the internet, it is clear that some action must be taken to protect its content and to protect ourselves being victims of those who would use the internet carelessly or with no regard for others. It is essential that the government takes steps to regulate the internet and ensure that it will continue to benefit us in the years to come.