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Thursday, February 23, 2006
Ng: The Internet and freedom of expression
By Wilson Ng
Wired Desktop
The Internet is not only revolutionizing the way we do business and communicate, but also the way we live.
Thomas Friedman, in his famous book, “The World is Flat,” documents too well how it is also changing governments all over the world. Before, government simply took control of the media — radio, TV and newspapers — to maintain dictatorship and shut out the world. The only information that reached the public was those from state-owned newspapers, radio and TV.
But this is not the case anymore. Nowadays, with ubiquitous CNN, we do not only learn of an event within a few minutes after it happens, but the Internet has democratize information that almost anybody in any part of the world will be able to get all sorts of views and opinions on any event.
It is almost like the Big Brother TV program. Videos are everywhere and everything that is talked about is recorded. There is no way out.
How do we make sure that people in the country benefit from using the Internet but, on the other hand, prevent unscrupulous individuals from spreading false information or propaganda?
The Internet, in its ubiquity, has become an effective communication and a demolition tool at the same time. As a tool, it can be used to spread news and education, but the same lines can also be used to spread rumors and gossip. It can make a person instantly famous but can also damage a person’s reputation just as fast.
This aspect of the Internet is almost uncontrollable. Whoever you are, as long as you are somebody famous, it is almost guaranteed that somewhere, some time, people are trying to malign your name. After all, with hundreds of millions of websites and hundreds of millions of people surfing, how do you control it?
But it can be done. China, for instance, employs a force of 30,000 people who review and control access to information on the Internet. They are capable of blocking access to many sites expressing non-approved opinions on hot button issues like Taiwanese independence.
China is working with Google to make sure that controversies and hot issues are not featured in the search engine to sow discontent among the Chinese.
According to Time magazine, if you Google for images related to “Tiananmen,” you will most likely get images of rows of tanks confronting protestors in a rally at Tiananmen Square in 1989. However, if you do the same Google search in China, you might get tranquil pictures of the Tiananmen Square.
A few weeks ago, Microsoft also agreed to censor a Chinese blogger who was commenting on very sensitive issues and was trying to fan discontent through MSN. Yahoo did the same thing. Yahoo handed over to the Chinese authorities some sensitive information about a man who used Yahoo China to leak state secrets.
I am not going to argue like the free speech purists that China is still a controlled state. At this stage of its development, I feel and agree that China cannot afford the free-for-all, self-righteous press who push for information freedom that the United States advocates, and which is very well practiced (with a lot of bad effects) here in the Philippines.
Consider the recent controversy about the Prophet Mohammed cartoons which offended the sensibilities of Muslims worldwide. Over 30 people have been killed, and these are innocent people. For what? For the press’ belief that it should not apologize for having offended a religion and its believers?
I believe in freedom of expression but with that freedom comes responsibility.
If a person has chosen to be irresponsible for his actions, then clearly freedom is being abused.
I guess the development of technology will follow the same path. Technology can be good and it bad. How it will benefit and work for us is our responsibility — to ourselves and to society, in general.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 23, 2006 issue)
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