Should the Internet be Regulated?
The internet is an important tool, one that many people can not imagine their lives without, especially those who have grown up immersed in it. The internet can be an amazing thing, connecting millions of people all across the world, connecting families, friends and strangers alike. But we have abused it, we have used it to spread hateful ideals, threats, and harmful and triggering images and videos. Regulation of the internet could help protect people from harmful content but I don’t believe that a restriction on internet usage is feasible.
I believe it would benefit Canada to introduce new federal laws to regulate the use of the internet. People get anxious at the thought of big brother watching, but if an individual truly has nothing to hide then these regulations would have no negative effect on them. In a statement, Prime Minister Theresa May said “The internet can be brilliant at connecting people across the world, but for too long these companies have not done enough to protect users, especially children and young people, from harmful content. That is not good enough, and it is time to do things differently,”(Satariano, Adam, “Britain Proposes Broad New Powers to Regulate Internet Content”, The New York Times, April 7, 2019). I believe that the cons to internet regulations are unimportant if they provide safety to our children from the exposure to cyber bullying, or hateful and bigoted materials. The regulation of the internet would help prevent issues, such as cyber bullying, which would in turn help decrease youth depression, anxiety and suicide rates.
It would also help prevent the spread of fascist ideals by stopping the spreading or release of bigoted materials. The access to bigot materials can and have inspired individuals to act on hateful impulses. These harmful ideals, made every more easily accessible to the world by the internet have lead to tragic events, such as school shootings, and attacks on places of worship. Some argue that to restrict the release and spreading of materials, such as manifestos that promote bigoted ideals is to restrict one’s freedom of speech. But one’s freedom of speech should not belittle or discriminate against another’s race, sexuality or religion.
The real question isn’t whether it is right or wrong for regulations to be placed on the uses of the internet but whether it is feasible. If moderators are in charge of deciding what’s harmful and what’s appropriate for the internet, we do not have a way to prevent personal biases and opinions from interfering with internet regulation. With human moderators we run the risk of infringing on freedom of speech. There is also the risk that whoever is in charge of this regulation being corrupted by money or politics.
I believe that regulations on the internet could be an effective way to protect people from harmful content and would help to decrease the frequency with which tragic events, such as the massacre that occurred at two mosques in New Zealand in March from taking place, but realistically I don’t believe it is feasible.
