Internet CensorshipInternet Censorship

In order of appearance:In order of appearance:Dmitriy BespalovDmitriy Bespalov

Ilya BraudeIlya BraudeBrian McBurneyBrian McBurneyYaroslav VolkovYaroslav Volkov

What is censorship?What is censorship?

Censorship - Censorship - practice of examining in practice of examining in order to suppress or delete anything order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionableconsidered objectionable

Our concern:Our concern: Material, harmful to some groups of peopleMaterial, harmful to some groups of people Can they be protected from accessing?Can they be protected from accessing?

What is the Internet?What is the Internet?

Internet Internet Set of computers connected in to one global Set of computers connected in to one global

networknetwork No one owns it nor can shut it downNo one owns it nor can shut it down

Our concern:Our concern: Information on the Internet (Web)Information on the Internet (Web) There is a lot of it!There is a lot of it!

What is the Internet?What is the Internet?

Tools for FilteringTools for Filtering

Web page text searchWeb page text search Could filter appropriate contentCould filter appropriate content Could allow inappropriate contentCould allow inappropriate content

Manual classificationManual classification Done by ISP (i.e. AOL)Done by ISP (i.e. AOL) Expensive to maintainExpensive to maintain Not globalNot global

WaiverWaiver

Our discussion is based on the US lawsOur discussion is based on the US laws

here

WaiverWaiver

Certain material should not appear on the Certain material should not appear on the Internet at allInternet at all Web sites that sell illegal substancesWeb sites that sell illegal substances Child pornographyChild pornography

AttemptsAttemptsIssuesIssues

Should filtering be done by government?Should filtering be done by government?

Or should this be up to each person to decide?Or should this be up to each person to decide?

Communications Decency ActCommunications Decency Act Prohibited posting "indecent" or "patently offensive" Prohibited posting "indecent" or "patently offensive"

materials on the Internet materials on the Internet Ruled Ruled unconstitutional by Supreme Court, 19971997

Children’s Internet Protection Act Requires government - subsidized libraries use filtering

technology Libraries need to deploy filters in 07/03 – 06/04Libraries need to deploy filters in 07/03 – 06/04

CurrentCurrent

PollPoll

How many people think that:How many people think that: Government should impose filtering?Government should impose filtering? This should be up to each person to decide?This should be up to each person to decide?

Government Controlled CensorshipGovernment Controlled Censorship

A common standard needs to be A common standard needs to be maintainedmaintained Government is able to set a global normGovernment is able to set a global norm

The government is able to enact The government is able to enact enforceable measures of protectionenforceable measures of protection Government laws are enforceableGovernment laws are enforceable

Problems with Local CensorshipProblems with Local Censorship

Parents’ inability to effectively limit accessParents’ inability to effectively limit access Parents’ technical deficienciesParents’ technical deficiencies Kids are a lot more computer savvy these daysKids are a lot more computer savvy these days

Local protection programs can always be Local protection programs can always be circumventedcircumvented

Current filtering techniques do not workCurrent filtering techniques do not work

Government Involvement is GoodGovernment Involvement is Good

Government is able to work with ISPsGovernment is able to work with ISPs

Large dataset with AI = good filtering softwareLarge dataset with AI = good filtering software Advanced Artificial Intelligence techniquesAdvanced Artificial Intelligence techniques Bayesian and Neural NetworksBayesian and Neural Networks

Cannot be circumvented easilyCannot be circumvented easily Central managementCentral management Advanced computer and networking knowledge Advanced computer and networking knowledge

requiredrequired

Liability and ResponsibilityLiability and Responsibility

Government can be held legally liable for Government can be held legally liable for “over censoring”“over censoring” Government is under larger scrutiny from the Government is under larger scrutiny from the

general public.general public. 11stst Amendment Amendment

Private companies are not as malleablePrivate companies are not as malleable Will do as they likeWill do as they like

Example: BessExample: Bess

Bess Internet Filtering ProductsBess Internet Filtering Products

Used in many schoolsUsed in many schools

Make academic research nearly impossible Make academic research nearly impossible despite protestsdespite protests

Arguments Against CensorshipArguments Against Censorship

General Arguments Against General Arguments Against CensorshipCensorship

John Stuart Mill’s Harm PrincipleJohn Stuart Mill’s Harm Principle Which is a greater harm?Which is a greater harm? Censorship can lead to Censorship can lead to

suppression of art, literature, and suppression of art, literature, and political thoughtpolitical thought

The lesser of two evilsThe lesser of two evils

The Growth of the InternetThe Growth of the Internet

Government censorship of content on the Government censorship of content on the Internet will hurt further growthInternet will hurt further growth

Internet’s success due to lack of controlInternet’s success due to lack of control No national boundariesNo national boundaries No limits on expansionNo limits on expansion

Censorship FolliesCensorship Follies

Communications Decency Act’s two Communications Decency Act’s two analogiesanalogies Internet is like broadcast media, allows strong Internet is like broadcast media, allows strong

censorshipcensorship Internet is like “dial-a-porn” telephone Internet is like “dial-a-porn” telephone

numbers, allows no censorshipnumbers, allows no censorship

A Double Edged SwordA Double Edged Sword

Government censorship benefitsGovernment censorship benefits People protected from inappropriate materialPeople protected from inappropriate material

Government censorship harmsGovernment censorship harms Different opinions about what is inappropriateDifferent opinions about what is inappropriate Some material might be entirely inaccessibleSome material might be entirely inaccessible Too much power for the governmentToo much power for the government

Protecting AccessProtecting Access

Parents choose how to protect their Parents choose how to protect their children, not governmentchildren, not government Filtered ISPsFiltered ISPs

Family’s Choice InternetFamily’s Choice InternetFamilyInternetFamilyInternetFamilyOnlineFamilyOnline

Blocking SoftwareBlocking SoftwareBessBessNet NannyNet NannyPC Time CopPC Time Cop

Internet Censorship: SummaryInternet Censorship: Summary

Once again: what’s in question?Once again: what’s in question?

IllegalIllegal is different from is different from potentially potentially harmful to minorsharmful to minors

Illegal content is out of questionIllegal content is out of question

Other things potentially subject to Other things potentially subject to censorship, such as art and political censorship, such as art and political content should remain free as guaranteed content should remain free as guaranteed by the First Amendment.by the First Amendment.

What needs to be done?What needs to be done?

A way of controlling A way of controlling access of minors to access of minors to offending contentoffending content

Those who are legitimately Those who are legitimately interested in this content interested in this content should be able to access itshould be able to access it

How can this be done?How can this be done?

Ultimately, this should be done on client-Ultimately, this should be done on client-sideside

““Censorware”Censorware”

Currently available to users but not very Currently available to users but not very effective. Problems include:effective. Problems include:

- underblocking- underblocking

- - overblockingoverblocking

Content labelingContent labeling

Content labeling: theoryContent labeling: theory

Publishers label their own contentPublishers label their own content

Only explicit content has to be labeledOnly explicit content has to be labeled

Enforced by lawEnforced by law

Users set up their browsers to deal with Users set up their browsers to deal with labeled sites as they see fitlabeled sites as they see fit

No control over the content – just how No control over the content – just how content is labeledcontent is labeled

Content labeling: Content labeling: implementationimplementation

MetadataMetadata

Current solution: meta tagsCurrent solution: meta tags

Better solution: Semantic WebBetter solution: Semantic Web Based on Resource Description Framework Based on Resource Description Framework

(RDF)(RDF) Currently developed by a number of Currently developed by a number of

researches led by W3C (www.w3c.org)researches led by W3C (www.w3c.org)

Internet CensorshipInternet Censorship

Q & AQ & A