Some hold that an excessive proportion of the content on the web may have negative implications, and that the only way to tackle this worrying aspect of the internet is strict regulation that will censor this inappropriate content. I argue that this position is justified and advocate governmental intervention, albeit the latter should be limited.
First, websites and social media applications have long been spreading potentially harmful content. In the face of trends of globalization, these platforms are used to publish videos, images, and posts presenting horrors, violence, and criminal activity from all over the world. For example, the civil war in Syria has generated terrible scenes of murder and other unbearable crimes, which might damage their viewers’ well-being and mental health. However, individuals cannot prevent the universal spread of these scenes throughout the internet since, in the absence of any legislation, people can simply send this content to whoever they wish. Only govenmental meausres, such as enacting laws prohibiting inappropriate content on digital platforms, may mitigate its unwanted consequences. This is because only statutory power can have any bearing on the behavior of giant tech corporates, who find the spread of provocative content profitable.
In contrast, opponents of this view stress that countries should not oversee information sources like the web, as this practice may threaten fundamental rights and liberties. It is a basic tenet of liberal philosophy that citizens should have a full access to relevant data and knowledge to avoid the emergence of oppressive regimes. Therefore, some argue that censoring mechanisms operated by the authorities should be banned. I, on the other hand, believe that their concerns can be accomodated using a balanced form of regulation: only patently harmful content should be forbidden, while governments should have no control over political content. This policy may allow us to tackle the drawbacks associated with harmful content while maintaining a genuinely liberal regime.
In conclusion, only the authorities can solve the problem of inappropriate content on the web, but they should do so without violating the pillars of liberal thought.