Internet Filtering and Censorship

Internet filtering is on the rise in the world today. It is being conducted in most western industrialized countries as well as developing countries and undemocratic regimes. Internet filtering software are used as tools to prevent Internet users from accessing or viewing materials that are considered unsafe or inappropriate. While many people support and encourage the use of these software to protect their children and communities, others see them as tools to deprive people from their own right to access information freely, and consider them tools for censorship in violation of the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This paper addresses the problem of Internet filtering by identifying the technology used to block information, and addressing the issue of who is using these software and whether filtering is considered protection or censorship.. The paper concluded that while no one can object to the filtering and blocking of pornography, hate, violence and terror sites on the Internet, many warn against expanding the use of these software to oppress people and prevent them from exercising their rights of free access to information as part of their intellectual freedom.