Find the first controversial post and scroll down to the comment section. For this experiment, your choice of platform is irrelevant – you can do it on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, or YouTube. Whichever you choose, you’ll find heaps of questionable remarks.
The chances are you encounter many opinions online. You can agree and relate with some, while others seem less attractive. In worst cases, comments might aim to hurt, embarrass, or expose, which can negatively affect people. However, all digital communities have the freedom of speech. Sadly, it can become difficult to draw the line between free speech and content that should be unacceptable.
It is a fascinating question because it threatens to shake the very foundations upon which the internet was built. As both alternative and subversive, the world wide web took off in 1991 to promise unhampered freedom of expression and global connectedness.
Coming of age with a new sense of responsibility
So much has happened in the past three decades. In a global political scandal, Donald Trump was suspended from Facebook for spreading misinformation. The former President of the United States was maybe the first public figure to be censored online in a whole new chapter for freedom of speech.
A couple of tumultuous years later, the internet is still trying to navigate political scandals, data leaks, and the pandemic. Sometimes it becomes difficult to establish between right and wrong. However, when opinions threaten people’s livelihood, it is fair to say that such content turns dangerous.
Online communities have witnessed many cases of blocked content or users. Nevertheless, freedom of speech has always been a priority we cannot ignore. Despite pitfalls and drawbacks, losing the ability to speak our minds is a dangerous premise, likely leading to unfair censorship.
The war on misinformation & harmful content
It’s not only the multitude of misinformation that’s been worrying communities. Digital users also face an increased amount of harmful content. You can find everything online, from phishing emails, romance scams and illegal schemes.
Sadly, in many cases, users are left to fend for themselves. For instance, email service providers can block emails from known culprits. However, new sophisticated threats will likely continue to pop up, aiming to deceive you. So, the responsibility to stay safe rests entirely on your shoulders. Users must learn about the new threats and discover appropriate prevention and mitigation.
Why do current situations fail to ensure online safety?
Companies and service providers control many of our daily activities. Everything is online, from buying e-tickets for buses to finding information for loans. In a way, you rely on these businesses to protect you, from browsing applications to online banks. Thus, it is questionable whether you can entirely rely on their protection. In some situations, it becomes apparent that you cannot. Digital tracking of our activities, preferences, and habits around the clock. For instance, even apps like TikTok might know us better than our loved ones and family members.
No surprise is that many users refuse to download specific applications, especially well-known privacy offenders. Additionally, encryption becomes a bigger priority for instant messaging apps and other services.
Services like Virtual Private Network continue to boom, giving users a chance to conceal data about their activities and locations. So, once people decide to download a VPN, they become more privacy-conscious, evading many unsavory practices along the way. One of them is the restrictions on free speech that can seem highly unacceptable. For instance, some regimes aim to stop accessing certain media outlets, alleging fake news or misinformation. However, it is more about unfairly limiting the ways users can express themselves and form individual opinions.
Can the internet reconcile safety and freedom?
On one side, we have entities defending the internet’s freedom of expression as a fundamental human right. On the other, cautionary tales of misinformation and fake news haunt the open and safe digital realm. However, understanding the difference between oppression and protection is crucial. Internet safety won’t be as sweet if users cannot engage in healthy conversations or find transparent news.
Therefore, finding common ground and defending people’s interests should always be prioritized. Whether limits on free speech can exist all depends on the situation. For instance, if questionable claims put people’s livelihoods in danger, it turns dangerous.
