How much control is enough? How much freedom is enough? It seems like these two questions always appear when lawmakers want to stipulate Internet law, and thus, creates argument.
Social network service enables everyone to be intermediaries and hosts to our communication, and enables everyone to have access to extremely sensitive information. (Opsahl)
Because of the easier availability of information access, people can get whatever information they want on Internet. Take me use China as an example. People in China are not able to get sensitive information on search engine. The China government filters all the sensitive political information on the Internet. The central government wants to control all sensitive information. In their perspective, this action is to protect the regime of the Communist Party. Therefore, people in China are not able to get information on the Tiananmen Square massacre.
When people want to search Tiananmen Square massacre on the search engine by typing 6.4 (the date of Tiananmen Square massacre), the search engine does not show anything about that historical event. But does it mean people in China are not able to get that information forever? Not really. Due to the advanced knowledge on information technology, the Internet users are able to unlock the system. But the China government still keeps inventing the censor system. Once again, this action is to protect their regime.
But is it still really controllable in this technology-boom era? Of course “No”. The Internets users are so smart, they use another way to spread the information on Tiananmen Square massacre. So how do they spread it on Internet and make this information is searchable? They used to call this event by “June 4th”. Now they call this historical event by “May 35th”. I think the Internet users will have more methods to spread this kind of political message on Internet when the China government keeps blocking the sensitive information.
So in this information-technology age, is it possible to control all sensitive information? It might be possible 30 years ago. Today, it is impossible. And the China government needs to accept the fact that information must be open. This is an unavoidable trend with the growth of Internet.
So how much control is enough? It seems like Internet is the opposite answer of control.
Samuel's Blog 