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Knowledge/A Level/H446/01 Computer systems/Moral and Ethical Issues/Censorship and the Internet

Censorship and the Internet

1.5.2 Moral and Ethical Issues

Moral and Ethical Issues — Note 5 of 9

Candidates need to understand how the Internet and censorship on the Internet has moral, social, ethical and cultural implications.

What you need to know

Censorship is the control of what people can access, publish or view. On the Internet it is carried out by governments, organisations and platforms, and raises questions about freedom of speech, safety and control of information.

What to know

  • Examples: some governments block websites or social media; schools and employers filter content; platforms remove posts that break their rules.
  • Arguments for: protecting children from harmful content; preventing illegal material, extremism and incitement to violence; reducing misinformation.
  • Arguments against: limits freedom of speech and access to information; can be used to suppress political opposition; decisions about what to block may be biased or inconsistent.
  • Different cultures and countries have very different views on what should be censored.
  • Censorship can be bypassed using VPNs or proxy servers.

Key terms

Censorship

The deliberate suppression or restriction of information that others can access or publish.

Exam technique

  • Tip:Consider who decides what is censored and on what grounds, and the impact on different groups.

Moral and Ethical Issues

Note 5 of 9

  1. 1Computers in the workforce
  2. 2Automated decision making
  3. 3Artificial intelligence
  4. 4Environmental effects
  5. 5Censorship and the Internet
  6. 6Monitor behaviour
  7. 7Analyse personal information
  8. 8Piracy and offensive communications
  9. 9Layout, colour paradigms and character sets
Topic overview
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