Regulation and security of the internet
"If privacy is outlawed, only outlaws will have privacy" (Siegel 9). When something as vast, influential and readily evolving as the Internet is introduced to the world, there is bound to be countless issues of controversy surrounding it. In the past decade, our society has become based solely on the ability to move large amounts of information across great distances quickly and efficiently. The growing need for high-speed communications is causing a global network of interconnected computers to develop, commonly referred to as "the Internet," or the "World Wide Web." The Internet is having a drastic effect on the lives of people around the world. Children are exposed to it at school and at home. The Web is hastily replacing television and radio as the most frequently used information and entertainment-broadcasting medium in the world. Because Internet has become the primary key to communications in the world, the United States government, Internet users, and civil rights activists are debating over what must be done to protect Internet users and at the same time national security without stifling the innovation of the Internet. The proposals of all of the above parties have var
The biggest problem legislators face in policing the Internet is finding a precedent to follow. The current body of laws existing today does not apply well to the Internet. How do they classify the Internet? "Is it a broadcasting medium, where the government monitors each broadcast? Is it like a bookstore, where servers cannot be expected to review every title? Is it like a phone company, which must ignore what it carries because of privacy?"(Beecham 15). The trouble with trying to classify the Internet is that it can be all or none of these, depending on how it is used. The Internet cannot be viewed as one type of data transfer medium under the current broadcast definitions. The Internet differs from the broadcasting media in that one cannot just happen upon a vulgar site without first keying in a complicated address, or following a link from another source. "The Internet is much more like going into a book store and choosing to look at adult magazines" (Miller 75). Because what the Internet is used for varies from person to person, its classification is interpreted in a number of different ways. Unfortunately, it appears that the Internet cannot fit into any category, so it must undergo years of debate over how it must be controlled. "Without a legal precedent to follow, it will be a long fight to freedom"(Davies 68). Writing legislation on such an issue could take years. Cryptography's increasing use and popularity in the private sector has led to a predictable response by the government: their demand for access to the keys. Citing vague threats to safety and national security, the Clinton Administration has for several years demanded that the industry provide it with backdoor access to the country's information infrastructure. Professor Kenneth W. Dam, who chaired the National Research Council's Committee to Study National Cryptography Policy, has warns us that, because of the lack of consensus over cryptography, "a policy of crisis is upon us" (Siegel 5). There is a struggle between two sides on the issue of encryption. On one side, there are the law enforcement and national security agencies, including the Justice Department, the FBI, the National Security Council, the Drug Enforcement Agency and many state and local law enforcement agencies. On the other side, there are the representatives of the communications industry-the country's leading cryptographers, computer scientists and privacy and civil liberties advocates. The main arena for the struggle between these two sides is the U.S. Congress, where a excess of bills have been, and are being, considered. As the Internet continues to grow throughout the world, more governments may try to impose their views onto the rest of the world through regulations and censorship. It will be a sad day when the world must adjust its views to conform to that of the most prudish regulatory governments in existence. If too many regulations are enacted, then the Internet as a tool will become nearly useless, and the Internet as a mass communication device and a place for freedom of mind and thoughts, will become nonexistent. There exists a very fine line between protecting children from pornographic material and protecting the inherent rights that all Americans are born with. The users, servers, and parents of the world must protect themselves using data encryption, so as not to force government regulation that may stifle the best communication instrument in history. If encryption becomes as widespread as Zimmerman predicts it will, there will no longer be a need for the government to intrude in the matters of the Internet, for the Internet users will protect themselves from the threats to security and privacy they face. The biggest problems will work themselves out. The government should rethink its approach to the censorship and encryption issues, allowing the Internet to continue to mature on its own to reach its full potential. "If privacy is outlawed, only outlaws will
Some common words found in the essay are:
Americans Internet, Americans Governmental, FBI NSA, Trade Commission, Web Internet, Trade Commissions, Internet Conservatives, Liberties Union, Phil Zimmerman, Murphy Laura, internet users, data encryption, civil liberties, civil liberties union, encryption software, national security, regulation internet, personal information, liberties union, protect themselves, trade commission, murphy laura 2, users protect themselves, outlawed outlaws privacy, internet users protect,
Approximate Word count = 3028
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)
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