The Increasing Regulations on the Internet

John Maki

The Increasing Regulations on the Internet

Protesting has been a tool for marginalized groups to demonstrate their frustrations with their current government. Radiating the need for change. Throughout 2019 and entering 2020, these protests remain prevalent in countries throughout the globe. From the French yellow vests, to Hong Kong and Lebanon. No country appears safe from these anti-government demonstrations. While protests can’t be stopped, some countries blame the increased intensity and support for these movements on social media and the internet. In the city of Ürümqi 2009, the Uighurs violently protested against the Chinese establishment. Riots were allegedly organized via Facebook. Resulting in the banning of Facebook and other social media from use in China and the state sponsored control of what its citizens see online to avoid public dissent.
When the internet was first created, free reign was given to users. A libertarian paradise where opinions were told and ideas were shared, censorship has been quickly seeping into the internet in recent months. Many authoritarian governments already censor the internet, some notable examples include China with the example already provided, Iran’s ban on facebook, Saudi Arabia’s ban on websites that portain include gay rights or anti-religious speech, and Turkey’s ban on speech that condems the Turkish involvement in Syria, which by the way according to the New York Times, Turkey declared war against the Syrian government on Sunday (3/1/2020). But attitudes in democratic countries are turning towards their authoritarian counterparts. The European Union’s infamous “Article 13” and similar bills seen in Australia, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Russia, and the possible legislation ‘online harms white paper’ in Britain, all sacrifice freedom under the facade of security, truth, and the emotional well-being of others. The United States often lets companies police themselves and monopoly tech firms are pulling in the reigns on what is allowed on their platforms. Content creators and others that contribute to the massive hub of ideas and information, are seeing increased restrictions and corporate regulations interfering or exploiting the information on the internet. Fear of fake news or lack of national security is rampant and often justifies the restriction of speech. The Internet is quickly falling out of the free public realm and into a regulated one.
Uganda, a country known for its corrupt government, has seen the implementation of a ‘social media tax’ that President Yoweri Museveni would claim would put an end to “gossip”. Critics argue that the real meaning of this tax is meant to suppress dissent in the country. Countries are stopping the internet from opinions that they deem dangerous. Oppression of anti-state language is dangerous and parallels George Orwell’s book, “1984”. We can’t assume that our freedoms are assured and must take precautions so that freedoms aren’t regulated by the government.


Works Cited
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“Economics, Demography and Social Media Only Partly Explain the Protests Roiling so Many Countries Today.” The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, www.economist.com/international/2019/11/14/economics-demography-and-social-media-only-partly-explain-the-protests-roiling-so-many-countries-today.

“Factbox: 'Fake News' Laws around the World.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 2 Apr. 2019, www.reuters.com/article/us-singapore-politics-fakenews-factbox/factbox-fake-news-laws-around-the-world-idUSKCN1RE0XN.

Gall, Carlotta. “Turkey Declares Major Offensive Against Syrian Government.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 Mar. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/03/01/world/middleeast/turkey-syria-assault.html.

Kaplan, Juliana. “A World on Fire: Here Are All the Major Protests Happening around the Globe Right Now.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 22 Oct. 2019, www.businessinsider.com/all-the-protests-around-the-world-right-now.

“The Unsettling Rise of Internet Censorship Around the World.” By Tabby90, hackernoon.com/the-spread-of-internet-censorship-around-the-world-7i1mn3zwb.

Wauters, Robin. “China Blocks Access To Twitter, Facebook After Riots.” TechCrunch, TechCrunch, 7 July 2009, techcrunch.com/2009/07/07/china-blocks-access-to-twitter-facebook-after-riots/.