Fifty years ago, the thought that you could reach someone across the globe in a matter of seconds was the stuff of science fiction. Twenty years ago, the access we now have to information and communication was just beginning. Now, we can talk to people from almost every place in the world with a few clicks of a mouse—seemingly without restrictions!
That is, until we read in the news about social media censorship, Internet regulation or governments cracking down on their citizens’ internet use. For some, that causes slight alarm and maybe a few people take notice. But by and large, most people carry on with their everyday lives, confident that they have access to free speech and quality information on the Internet.
In a world that is ever more increasingly connected, the question remains: Does free speech exist on the Internet?
Let’s start by defining what free speech in and of itself means. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
All right. So, whatever it is, our government should not stop us from using it. Keep in mind that this statement limits only the government. It has no impact (theoretically) on private persons and companies.
That sector is much less defined and an argument can be made that it’s simply not defined at all! From time to time, people talk about “common sense”, “the golden rule” and other such moral barriers to a free-for-all environment. However, a cursory search demonstrates that these ideals are not universal across the Internet as a whole.
Does this mean that free speech can’t be defined? The answer is no. We all have at least an idea of what free speech is, even if we do not put it into words or create a set of bylines for our personal nooks and corners of this strange new world.
Our definition at Ethical Developer Group may be stated as follows:
The freedom of speech is the ability to share information and opinions from person to person (or group to group) without a third-party’s interference in the communication of such information.
The ramifications of such a definition go much further that you may think. For example, under this definition, if something promises us free speech we should expect to have:
True freedom of speech depends on having a wide range of information and options available to you and to the world. Like it or not, Google and Facebook actively “tailor” or “customize” what you see. Most of the time, you may not even realize it! The same holds true for other social media platforms, mainstream news sources, and more—all trying to be a comprehensive source for you to suck up their vision and ideals.
And where do people get the majority of their information from? It’s worth a hard think or two. Maybe even more.
The answer is both yes and no. Yes, if you actively search and seek out freedom of speech. It’s not easy, but it can be done.
If you expect simple freedom of speech regardless of where you are or what your sources are, you will not have freedom of speech.
Which will you choose?
https://www.d.umn.edu/~tcolburn/cs3111/presentation/schedule/2018-spring/presentations/speech.pdf
If people don't consciously choose privacy and free speech over the normal way of doing things, they won't get privacy or free speech. They will only get what's been metered out to them and they will only get to share what is approved.
Here at Ethical Developer Group we are concerned about privacy and free speech. Please join us in learning about threats, finding alternative paths, and making our way out of the Digital Panopticon. Sign up for our email updates, become a user of the site, and show your support of our mission on social media sites including LinkedIn, Twitter, Gab, and Steam.
Mark W. Marasch, editor, CEO of Maraschino Services LLC
