2. Outlines
1 Introduction to Censorship
2 What could we censor?
3 Censorship Strategy
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3. Introduction to Censorship
⇒ Accessing internet require
Computer
A telecommunication connection
A modem
A browser
⇒ During working hour, employee may misuse the internet.
Need some restriction for increasing productivity.
⇒ Providing Internet access at home.
May be dangerous for children → Sexual or violence content
Harmful for family as well as society.
⇒ Not providing access to the Internet
Exclude people from the benefits of the vast information on the
Internet.
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4. Continued–
⇒ Filter the websites to ensure the ’right’ information is accessible to
people.
⇒ Especially children and employees.
⇒ Freedom of Speech is a fundamental human right.
⇒ This freedom of speech has also +ve and -ve aspects.
⇒ For social security, we need also some censorship.
Prevent children from viewing pornography
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5. Types of Authority
1 Parental
⇒ Authority over their children.
⇒ Pornographic material or violence content
2 Employer
⇒ Authority over their employees in the workplace.
⇒ Playing games
3 Government
⇒ Authority over a country.
⇒ Violent materials circulations
4 International
⇒ Authority over the international community.
⇒ Stopping Terrorist Newsgroups
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6. Why Censor?
Censorship is a contentious issue and a wide range of viewpoints exist on
the topic.
⇒ Parents: Parents want
Children watch educational Web sites.
Children easily influenced by the content that they find on the Web.
Parents want to prevent their children from accessing adult material.
⇒ Employers: Employers want
Internet is paid service and is given for office work only.
Corporate liability may be threatened if employees view inappropriate
and/or offensive material.
⇒ Pressure groups:
Internet is open for all. It can be used for spreading wrong and unsocial
information.
There should be some mechanism for the removal of such sites.
⇒ Legal:
Laws limit the offensive material that may be communicated by
electronic means.
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7. Censorship Strategies
Popular systems for censoring sites
⇒ Blocking Software
⇒ Chines software/apps banned by Indian Government after Galwan clash.
⇒ Some censorship may be genuine and someone may be political or
intentional.
⇒ Google also take responsibility for allowing and blocking software on its
platform playstore.
⇒ Ratings
⇒ Moody’s and Fitch → Ease of doing business over the globe.
⇒ FATF → Involvement of a nation in terrorist activities.
Two rating based approach
⇒ Syntax for defining labels:
A website could have labels describing the levels of Language, Nudity,
Sex, and Violence.
⇒ Syntax for labeling content:
Rating classification itself for each of the labels. Ex- Thesis evaluation
in front of DSC committee (PhD program)
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8. Continued–
⇒ Service Providers
⇒ The ISP can then run the appropriate software to block access to sites
based on the user’s access level → Block lists or site ratings.
⇒ Browsers and search engines
⇒ Some browsers and search engines directly allow for censorship.
⇒ Some search engines allow for user feedback to provide information
used to decide if a site should be removed from their index.
⇒ Social Methods
⇒ It is important that users are educated as to the implications of their
actions.
⇒ There is a moral responsibility associated with data access, and those
who have the ability to control it need to be aware of the issues
involved.
⇒ Education plays an important role in raising awareness, and this has to
be addressed from a global perspective.
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