Internet Privacy and Monitoring

By Sarina Bouvier

A few Definitions: noun, plural pri·va·cies. 1. the state of being

private; retirement or seclusion. 2. the state of being free from intrusion or

disturbance in one's private life or affairs: the right to privacy; There is so much information about us online that personal privacy may be a thing of the past.

3. secrecy. 4. Archaic. a private place.

Privacy

All people should have a right to privacy and individual freedom on the internet. Monitoring other people’s activities and censoring websites is bad because it restricts an individual’s right to free speech and expression. Governments, companies, and organizations that are bent on forcing people to adhere to a specific type of website are undemocratic and unfair.

Internet Freedom

Some people say censorship is good because it stops unwholesome ideas from being perpetuated throughout the population. I say that yes, occasionally, there are some sites that should be removed, particularly hate-sites or sites that support discrimination in any form. At the same time, a lot of sites that do no harm are removed for no good reason, and that’s not okay.

Arguments for Censorship

“Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings.”- Heinrich Heine

Against Censorship

I believe that controlling the internet is both futile and wrong to even attempt. While there should be some monitoring to ensure general safety, it should not be up to any one authority to pick and choose which sites stay up and which are destroyed. If we did that, it would be a slow slide down a slippery slope before we land in a dystopian future novel like 1984 or The Hunger Games.

Conclusion: