Internet• Usage• Government Control– Limit Access: Myanmar, Cuba, North Korea– Control Content (censorship):∗ Saudi Arabia–single point of traffic∗ China–ISP agreementsfiltering can affect transmissio n to other coun-tries– Standards vary in WestGermany forbids Neo-Nazi si tes, but U.S. does not1• Pornography– Sexually explicit depiction of persons created to elicitsignificant sexual arousal on the part of the consumer– Kant: treats a person as a means to sexual gratifi-cation– Utilitarians:∗ harmful consequencs∗ reduces dignity of human life∗ reduces likelihood that victims receive justice (de-sensitization)∗ encourages imitation that is criminal (e.g. rape)∗ offends most people, poisons the environment∗ diverts resources from more worthy activities2– Adults vs. Children∗ If children are involved in production or con-sumption, it is immoral and exploitative (almostuniversal)∗ Parents have the right to protect their children.Opens door to government role.∗ If all are adults· Producers make money· Consumers derive ple asure· Harmless outlet for exploration– Arguments can be contradictory – do we need de-scriptive ethics here ?3• Censorship– Attempt to suppress or regulate public access to ma-terial considered offensive or harmful– Historically exercised by government or rel ig io us in-stitutions– The printing pr ess changed the game– Forms of Direct C ensor ship1. Government Monopolization2. Prepublication Review3. Licensing and Registration– Goverment Monopolization∗ Soviet control of all forms of publication andbroadcast∗ No private copiers∗ Effective∗ Made more difficult by electronic compute r andcommunication technology– Prepublication Review∗ Essential to keep material secret∗ Examples: nuclear weapons program, nationalsecurity documents, material injurious to the rep-utation of leaders4– Licensing and Registration∗ Controls media with limited bandwidth – radioand TV broadcast at particular frequencies∗ FCC banned the use of certain words. (Look upGeorge Carlin and Seven Words You Can Never Sayon Television 1972)– Self Censorship∗ ratings systems – TV and movies∗ scheduling–TV∗ web ratings – spotty∗ motivations: avoid persecution, maintain chan-nels of communication and relationships, protectemployees– Internet Challenges∗ Many to many communication∗ Dynamic nature of users∗ Size∗ Lack of international control5– Kant – lived in an age of institutional thought con-trol, opposed censorship (duty-based argum ent ?)– John Stuart Mill opposed censorship∗ censorship may silence the voice of truth∗ censorship may silence part of the truth∗ in the clash of ideas truth is tested and validated∗ a tried and tested opinion is likely to have a ”vi-tal effect on char acte r and conduct”∗ Principle of Harm –· an institution should inter vene in the conductof an individual if the individual’s activitiesare harming others· ”The only ground on which intervention isjustified is to prevent harm to others; the in-dividual’s own good is not a sufficient condi-tion”6• Freedom of Expression– First Amendment: ”Congress shall make no law re-specting an establishment of religion, or prohibitingthe free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedomof speech, or of the press; or the right of the peoplepeaceably to assemble, and to petition the govern-ment for a redr ess of grievances.”• Children and the Internet– Child Internet Pro te cti on Act (CIPA)∗ Requires libraries receiving federal funds for In-ternet access to prevent children from accessingvisual depictions of obscenity and child pornog-raphy∗ An adult can ask a librarian to remove the filter∗ In 2003 the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 for the law(U.S. vs. American Library Association)· Since libraries don’t offer X-rated print ma-terial or movies, they should not be obligedto offer pornography on the Internet.· Filters also block inoffensive pages. Asking tohave filters removed can stigmatize patrons7• Identify Theft– 9 million victims in 2005– 12 % computer related– mechanism: phishing– origination often outside U.S. , hard to prosecute– average age is 40, experienced computer users• Chat Room Predators• False Information• Addiction– Persistent, compulsive behavior that the addict rec-ognizes to be harmful– Gambling, food, sex, long-distance running, program-ming