Internet censorship: The right to access information
The internet censorship can be a protection measure. As the internet is open and comprehensive, the quality and authenticity of internet information is questionable. There are a lot of undue materials online, such as pornography and violence, which undoubtedly exerts a negative influence on people especially children physically and psychologically.
Although there are several laws which regulate the illegal information and illegal activities, the laws are not complete enough to regulate all the illegal or immoral activities. It is very hard to charge a person for internet crimes, especially if the person is from a foreign website. Thus, the illegal activities and undue information are still rampant on the internet. Thus, internet censorship is needed for internet regulation. The censorship of internet can cleanse the internet information and protect people to some extent. The censorship of internet can guard people from the disturbing email spam.
For many net citizens, junk email is a troublesome problem. Some junk emails may have malware, and the malware will be activated when net citizens open the email. Some junk emails may be phishing schemes that attempt to steal net citizens’ identity and threatens the economic safety and privacy. Some junk emails may be fraudulent schemes or offensive material. Besides, there is a lot of annoying unsolicited advertisements. Spam filters can block junk emails for net citizens and make their internet life more safe and simple. The censorship can also have negative effect on the judicature of the society.
In China, some people are accused of agitating people to topple government and arrested because they publish and spread articles and information to oppose and criticize government. However, the conviction criterion of this accusation is very vague. The judicial interpretation is not adequate. The government has to much space to determine this issue. Thus, many scholars and lawyers submit a joint letter to limit or abolish this accusation. Besides, many scholars and lawyers ask for the judicial interpretation of this accusation.