Reader Response Draft 2

The article, “Who is the true enemy of internet freedom-China, Russia or the U.S?’’ by Morozov (2015) claims that the U.S. is the true enemy of Internet freedom. Morozov gives several examples to explain how the U.S obtains data from other countries by cooperating with American-based Internet Companies, and how it further challenges worldwide information sovereignty with its technology. On the other hand, it seeks to justify China’s and Russia’s efforts in defending Internet security and protecting citizens from Western culture influences, through the implementation of Internet restriction policies.

 

As Morozov’s article explores the reasons for Internet restriction in China and Russia, it is more important for us to discuss whether Internet restriction can be justified, instead of determining who the true enemy of Internet freedom is.

 

China has imposed restrictions on Internet platform services such as Google and Facebook due to several reasons. Firstly, the Chinese government is trying to protect its technological sovereignty. By reducing their people’s reliance on American-based Internet services, China lowers their risk of leaking information pertaining to confidential matters of state. Referring to the article, U.S. companies cooperate closely with the U.S government so as to obtain data from anywhere, as long as the country adopts American-run Internet services. It is demonstrated by the ongoing squabble between Microsoft and the U.S government(Morozov,2005), which is relevant to an investigation of Microsoft servers in Ireland, where the U.S government claimed to have rights to access data regardless where it is stored (Morozov, 2015). This shows that the U.S. is ambitious enough to control information on a worldwide scale. In fear of data leaks from state, the Chinese government has to restrict Internet services to protect its information sovereignty. Therefore, in the sense of protecting national security, Internet restriction can be understood and justified.

 

 

 

Frizell, (2004) argues that Chinese government had concerted effort to limit information about the incipient pro-democratic movement, such as Tiananmen Square Massacre and Xinjiang riots.  This shows the Chinese government is preserving its own interest in political terms, rather than protecting its citizens from Western influence and defending their Internet security. In my general opinion, citizens should have rights to access information and have freedom of speech. However, the successful attainment of Internet freedom is dependent on a nation’s actual condition, such as the state system and level of civilization. As a state with a large population, it is not easy for China to maintain peace and unity among citizens; so Internet restriction can be seen as a way to maintain state order. As Michael (2010) cited, laws in China clearly prohibit the spread of information which subverts state power and undermines national unity. This can be observed in the 2009 Xingjiang riot, where the Chinese government had censored posts related to the riot caused by resentment between the Han Chinese and Uyghur. This was to minimize the spreading of information which could challenge the harmony between the two races. If censorship had not been implemented, protesters from the two races may foment unrest, which could further put the country at risk of civil strife.
Although Internet restriction has prohibited citizens from accessing certain information, we cannot deny that it does protect a nation’s security to a certain extent.

 

In conclusion, it is important for us to understand that there is never an absolution for right or wrong, just like Internet restriction can be justified in some situation, as it does protect nation interest. It depends on country’s condition and how the government going to rule their country.

(585 words)

References: 

 Morozov, E. (2015). Who’s the true enemy of internet freedom - China, Russia, or the US. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jan/04/internet-freedom-china-russia-us-google-microsoft-digital-sovereignty

Frizell, S. (2014). Here Are 6 Huge Websites China is Censoring Right Now. TIME. Retrieved from http://time.com/2820452/china-censor-web/

Michael,B.(2010).China defends Internet censorship.BBS News.Retrieved from: www.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8727647.stm