Free Speech Online: Right or Privilege?

Essay by toastidCollege, UndergraduateA+, May 2003

download word file, 4 pages 4.0 1 reviews

Downloaded 148 times

Free Speech Online: Right or Privilege?

Should you be able to say what you want, and be able to publish anything on the internet? Many people are for freedom of speech, while many others are against it. I for one feel that speech on the internet should be free and people should be able to express their feelings openly on any topic, with only a few limitations. Also another concern with freedom of speech online is the safety of children who have internet access at home, and from schools and public libraries, these children have a vast selection of information at their fingertips. Should they be able to look up dangerous and explicit material? Also, the blocking of material can be seen as discriminatory, by blocking controversial issues such as race and religion.

As the first amendment declares, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances, " (qtd.

in THOMAS) it is very feasible that this amendment pertains to the world wide web as well. There have been many recent Supreme Court cases where individuals have been charged with "cyber crimes" that some feel is only freedom of speech. Paul Trummel, a native of Seattle, Washington, spent 110 days in jail for posting phone numbers of his perceived enemies on his webpage (Freedom Forum). Tremmel was released, but was told to have the information deleted from the website within 4 days of the court hearing.

A decision by the Supreme Court in 1997 made the internet a "unique medium" that is entitled to have the highest protection under free speech under the first...