It is commonly believed that ideas and information must be freely accessible, and there should be no censorship regarding what people consume in online and offline media. I do not completely disagree with this statement, especially since, in certain cases, the government has a critical role to play in controlling the media to stabilize the nation’s interests.
To begin with, unlimited access to information, especially about police operations, public order, and national security, can be misused by some criminal organizations. It could be easy for some criminals to jeopardize the safety of citizens. For example, there are some hoaxes produced and spread by the media that can turn situations into riots. Another example is that it can be dangerous if criminals or terrorist organizations know about military and police operations. It would be easy for them to avoid raids and help them succeed in their evil plans.
In addition, limiting and filtering inappropriate content in the media is necessary to ensure that citizens have legitimate sources of information. In this case, I believe it is important to provide young adults and pupils with extra supervision for the content they consume. There is so much information outside that can affect their mindset. Kids usually tend to imitate what they watch, so it can lead to many undesirable possibilities if they consume inappropriate content or information through social or public media.
In conclusion, the actions that governments can take to protect and maintain public safety, as well as national security and interests, include controlling the information consumed by society. However, it is a human right to express opinions and preferences regarding media consumption, and the government must respect this.