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Censorship Abroad
References | |
Legal Subjects on the Web
Although many subject may seem illegal, they are in
fact present on the Internet and are not prosecutable by law. Some sites seem
more controversial than others, however they all continue to exist and profit
via the Internet. More widely known Internet activities such as
pornography and gambling can be blocked using software filters. Yet,
activities related to illegal drugs, computer and password hacking, as well as
numerous other activities remain. Below are a list and explanation of a
few subjects which are easily locatable accessible to any user on the Internet,
provided that a software filter is not implemented.
 | Pornography -
pornography can include a wide range of subjects from sexual acts to nudity
to a lingerie catalog. Very prominent and profitable on the Web, these
sites are the main cause of the increased controversy of Internet
censorship. |
| Gambling -
Gambling exists in various form such as betting on games and races to simple
casino gambling. Although this does not raise as many moral concerns
as pornography, it does raise concerns in regards to accessibility by
children. |
| Violent Material -
Violent material is less difficult to find and less advertised than are the
two subjects described above. However, they do exist and can be very
harmful to children if accidentally viewed. |
| Drugs - Drugs are no
doubt illegal in the United States. The beauty of the Internet is that
US residents are able to bypass these geographical barriers to reach areas
in which they are legal. Hundreds and thousands of sites on illegal
drugs exist ranging from how
to make ecstasy and how
to grow marijuana to the
sale
of these drugs. Comprehensive sites which include these subjects
as well as many more also are easily locatable on the Internet. For
example, www.netcheats.com has a
number of links from testing clean on drug tests to ways to cheat on tests. |
| Terrorism -
Recent event have made terrorism one of the most controversial topics
today. Although many sites did in fact exist that allowed extremists
to share their views, the majority have been shut down in fear of government
scrutiny. A number of laws are now pending which would allow the
government the authority to conduct surveillance of any terrorist related
site. [3] |
| Sale of Fake Documentation
- Sites selling documentation such as fake ID's, driver's licenses, and
passports are also easily locatable on the Internet. Many of these
vendors, like the sites describing how to make drugs, have a disclaimer on
their site which releases them from any liability if the product or
information is used illegally. Sites such as www.phatism.com
specialize in creating fake ID's and driver's licenses. |
 
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