Freedom of Speech Loeun Thach Annie Lin COSC 380

Roadmap Introduction to Freedom of Speech Censorship What should be censored? Censorship in Other Countries Case Study Conclusion

Freedom of Speech First Amendment Different technologies and freedom of speech Print Broadcast Common carriers

Censorship What is censorship? History of censorship prior to the Internet Modern censorship Forms of censorship Obscene materials Spam Sensitive Material

Obscene Material What is obscene material? What are the stakeholders? What are the risks? How do you control access? Is it the responsibility the parents’ or the government’s?

Sensitive Material Private vs. Public Spam Examples Bomb-making instructions Suicide Violence

Censorship in Other Countries North Korea No independent journalists All radios and TVs are locked on government-specified frequencies Burma Publications must be scrutinized by government and approved Turkmenistan In 2005, all libraries were closed except for one that houses the president’s books

Censorship in Other Countries(con’t) The pattern? Why the need for such a pattern? What can even be done about it?

Case Study: Cyberbullying What is Cyberbullying? Is it that serious? Prevalent means of today’s youth

Cyberbullying Case Suicide of Megan Meier United States v. Lori Drew Who are the stakeholders? Stakeholders and their rights Megan Meier “Josh Evans” The family of Megan Meier The family of Lori Drew and acquaintances MySpace The government

Cyberbullying Case(con’t) The hidden stakeholder… How could preexisting censorship laws affected the outcome? How could censorship laws affect First Amendment rights? Government’s reaction on different levels Local Federal

Cyberbullying Case(con’t) What are the solutions? Possible solutions: Legislation Education Parental guidance

Conclusion Censorship vs. freedom of speech is an ongoing battle Should the internet be regulated? If so, to what degree?

References A Gift of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in Computing. x?id=2095&s=latestnews x?id=2095&s=latestnews reviled-mother/2007/11/30/ html reviled-mother/2007/11/30/ html worth-a-try/ worth-a-try/