Regulation of the Internet and Democratic Values and Ideals Essay

Regulation of the Internet and Democratic Values and Ideals - Essay Example In the age of internet, it has already become easy for people to keep in touch with each other because online communication has become a potential information resource (McQuail and Siune, 1998, p.76). Information has become a central foundation in the technological revolution (MacKay and O’Sullivan, 1999, p.122). With this, communication has become so easy that even an individual who is in the other part of the world could still converse to the other side of it with relatives or friends via social networking sites such as Skype, Facebook, Twitter, Friendster and many more. It has become so easy to connect with other people nowadays especially in making friends and increasing the number of contacts. In fact, the recent development in communication via internet and fast speed broadband connectivity paves the way for connecting people. Internet therefore has become a social phenomenon affecting culture (Atton, 2004, p.2; Slevin, 2000, p.1). However, while connecting people remain s a significant advantage of the internet, the issue regarding safety remains an alarming priority as one of the potential arguments for the regulation of online activities. Various crimes are already committed within the internet including but not limited to physical or violent harm. Transactions could be faster if they have to be generated online. In this regard, there are bank, credit card and other related transactions already made via online deals or the internet. The purpose is for convenience and safety. However, safety could be such an understatement considering the fact that hackers are flooding over the internet plus there is a remarkable increase in the number of viral programs, malwares and strategies to secure passwords and other relevant confidential information. This is another remarkable reason and a significant argument for the regulation of the internet that at some point may also potentially concern with protecting the identity of an individual and disclosure of h ighly sensitive and valuable information. However, this only proves that censorship is essential in capitalist democracies (Petley, 2009, p.1). In the advent of terroristic attacks and their dangerous output on the public, the UK and US implemented anti-terroristic campaigns and even regulation over the use of the internet and control any activities in the virtual world. All the intentions in these related activities are in line with providing the safety which the public deserves to experience. However, behind this concern, there are other forms of issues that need also to be considered. This generally includes the consideration of democratic values and ideal