Why The Internet is Different from TV

Channel-surfing is typical of both radio and television. Void of a TV Guide, audiences scan the channels for a program they might enjoy. However, such scanning simply does not occur on the internet because a) it’s impractical (short of recklessly following links or typing in random URLs, how could you?) and b) it’s dangerous. Because of the fact that the American populace is generally internet savvy enough not to stumble upon sites with content they find offensive, it is not necessary for the government to regulate Internet content in the same manner it does TV or radio.

Of course, there are some exceptions to this rule. Speech that is not lawful elsewhere should not be tolerated in virtual format either. For example, speech that is likely to incite imminent lawless action must be curtailed. That means that a terrorist cell within the United States should not be allowed to set up a website telling the world the most effectively way to blow something up. Also, child pornographers and sex predators must be held accountable for their online actions and their sites should be deleted from the internet.

Overall, though, I think the internet is a pretty safe place without the government interfering. Though I have stumbled upon some sites I thought were in poor taste, I’ve never found a site I found deeply offensive (and I have pretty high standards). Furthermore, parents concerned about what their children view should just use a parental filter like the one that comes with MSN.

Does anybody remember when the internet was just emerging and there were always commercials for internet filters? We were very afraid of this new technology and we thought that porn sites would just be popping up even if we were looking up benign things. I think the internet is a great example of something for the people and by the people actually working out. Maybe innocent people really were stumbling upon pornography back then (I doubt it, but maybe), but now the people have spoken and the most popular sites are those that internally regulate their content. Isn’t that why Facebook is so much more popular than MySpace? Facebook allows you to report inappropriate pictures and they actually take care of them. Another perfect is example is Wikipedia which maintains a pretty high level of integrity despite the fact that the government has nothing to do with it and anybody can change it.

So, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The government should leave the internet alone.