Net Censorship and Democracy's Fall

1- Do you think Americans have a double standard when it comes to free speech and censorship? In other words, do you think Americans hold other societies to a higher standard when it comes to the right of free speech?
Yes, I do think that America has a double standard when it comes to free speech and censorship. The government only believes in free speech when it benefits them. As soon as something negative is said, it is censored. There is also the matter of tapping phone calls and snooping into people's private records and information. Then America turns around and denounces censorship in other countries.


2-Do you agree with Dvorak that "all censorship mechanisms are bad for society"?
No, I do not agree. Some censorship is necessary, such as censoring inappropriate content from television or places that children have easy access to. I do think, though, that people should have the right to give their opinion freely about whatever event without fear of it being censored by the government.


IT Systems:
This issue affects the internet, television, and other communication systems.


S/E Issues:
Privacy: With the government tapping phone calls and snooping through telephone and email records, people will be more careful about what they say, possibly lying in order to protect themselves from negative repercussions.
Reliability: Let's say that you bought a product from a company and had a negative experience throughout the whole process. So you go to the website and post a comment detailing your negative experience and warning prospective customers. If the company censors the comments, then all prospective customers visiting the site will not see any negative comments, and will think they will have a positive experience. This does not portray an accurate view of the company.


AOIs:
This issue affects all the areas of interaction, especially those that have to do with the internet.