Information policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Information policy - Essay Example More and more people turned to the internet for almost anything and everything they need, whether for academic research, for checking celebrity activities, for commerce such as buy and sell, ordering and ticketing online and the likes. Even real time communications have found its way into the homes connecting two or more people from different parts of the world through email, chat, web calls, video conference, etc. As the usage and the advantages of the internet to information and communications technology could not be undermined, it also became susceptible to misuse and abuse by unscrupulous individuals who also saw the opportunity to perpetuate crime and evil through the world wide web and prey on unsuspecting victims usually children even from half way round the world. â€Å"Child pornography, bestiality, excessive violence or sexual violence, detailed instruction in crime, violence or drug use, and/or material that advocates (and incites) terrorism acts† (Foo, 2009) are among the common types of abuse in the internet. Often, the victims are minors or those who are under 18 years old. This became the foundation of the clamour of some citizens to censor some information available in the internet and to filter the content of websites. This is basis of the Australian government’s move to filter the information that comes in to the Australia through the information network. And the debate about internet censorship has ensued. The advocates of internet censorship promotes that this is the only way to protect the citizens from the malevolent crimes that abound the internet. They are specifically targeting the welfare of the children and the minors who are more susceptible victims because of their innocence and naivetà ©. The pro-censorship group claims that the internet has been made safer for the users because of the commonwealth government’s Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online Services) Act 1999. The other side