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The issue of censorship
Authenticity Statement:
I, Kuatova Diana, declare that this work is my own original research and writing and that all
original sources used are credited.
Signature_______________________
Date___________________________
Diana Kuatova
Zhansaya Tatyyeva
Global Perspectives & Project Work
Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Math & Physics
Almaty City, Kazakhstan
2015
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Introduction
There is the highest level of censorship in Kazakhstan. There are two perspectives on this
issue. One of perspective is that censorship has many pros. The second is that censorship has
disadvantages. The thesis of this research is on the internet a lot of information, like personal
blogs, notifications in social networks and advertisement on websites, which need a filter.
Aims & Methods
Aims are to know how internet influences on study and censorship in general, use some
sources to support argument, to understand different influences of perspectives. Survey will be
used like a tool of primary research. Survey is chosen, because of opportunity to get general
opinion of set of people. Capability to use their opinions like a source of information is more
interesting, than doing questionnaire and interview. Another research will be from secondary
resources with credible authors.
Context
The context of this research is the issue of censorship in internet. Censorship is a limitation of
free flow of ideas and control over the materials with inappropriate materials. More than 1000
harmful sites are blocked by the censorship, but the big part of students wasting about 5-6 hours
per day on the useless sites (Tengrinews, 2013). The time period studied will be from 2000 to the
present. The geographic focus will be Kazakhstan, exactly school students, and China. The first
perspective is about those people who think that there is problem, and the second perspective
will be those people who think it is normal to pay attention to useless sites and information.
The word “censorship” begins from the Latin word “Census” which means, in ancient Rome,
periodic assessment of property for the division of people into classes. Thus, according to
Goryaeva (2012) ancient censor watched the trustworthiness of political orientation of citizens.
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With the advent of new means of communication (such as radio, television, the Internet), new
forms of censorship. There is need to monitor the information transmitted from abroad led to the
emergence of means "killing" radio and Internet censorship. According to the European
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1950 permitted
limit freedom of the press for reasons of national security or public order to establish (UAdoc,
2012).
Perspectives
The first perspective is about censorship’s advantages. The first reason censorship gives
ability to keep people from some excess information (such as, materials for adults, messages that
contradict the laws and etc.) and things. The evidence of this reason is “During an emergency
like a terrorist attack, censorship helps in controlling panic and rumors throughout the nation.
This was observed in India in 2008 when terrorists attacked The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in
Mumbai. The official site of news was not notified the people and help to control panic.” (Pillai,
2012). The second reason of censorship’s advantage is censorship protects children from
becoming corrupt by the materials to adults. The relevant of survey with this perspective is, that
61% of respondents says that censorship is a good way to protect children from sites with
inappropriate material. The fact to prove this reason is “The sixth-grader girl committed suicide
because of a ban on viewing of a material for adults” (LIFENEWS, 2013). If the same sites will
be blocked by the censorship, children would not see it and becoming corrupt or addicted
inappropriate materials. The counter-argument of this perspective is, that censorship has
disadvantages. In conclusion, from these reasons, censorship is good.
The second perspective is about cons of censorship in the internet. The first reason why
censorship is bad is restriction of amount of the people. Censorship can block useful sites,
consequences of this limitation and lack of the freedom of speech. The fact to prove first reason
is “80% of people in the world restricted in the internet and number is still increased by the time”
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(Goldenfrog organization, 2013). These people was restricted by the censorship and can not take
ability to chat, search the information. The second reason of censorship’s disadvantage is it
prevents the free flow of ideas. The evidence to prove it is “Chinese exporters have struggled to
place Google ads that appeal to overseas buyers, Biotechnology researchers had trouble
recalibrating a costly microscope this summer because they could not locate the online
instructions to do so” (Bradsher, & Mazursept, 2014). Biotechnology researches had trouble
recalibrating a costly microscope and it might be cause of future problems with health of people.
In conclusion, censorship is bad because of these reasons. However, there is a counter-argument
of this perspective is, that censorship also has pros, which was discussed in previous paragraph.
Results
The result of the survey shows that 64% of respondents are teenagers 12-16 years old,
other 20% are young adults. The result of the survey shows that 87% of respondents are students
in school, the 10% of people are student in university. The 15% of respondents still don’t know
about censorship. The 84% of respondents meet the censorship in internet. For question “Will
blocking sites help you to pay attention on your study?” a big part of respondents, exactly
79.59% do not think that it is helps. The other 20.41% of people think that it is helping or
motivating to study. The most annoying are notifications from social networks – 73%, however
the other responds got the equal amount of answers, approximately 25%. “Will blocking cites
disrupt you to search information for homework/job/home?” question’s a 70% of respondents
make a choice on the option “doesn’t disturb”, but in the same time 30% of people has chosen an
option “disturbing”. The result of the survey show 60% of respondents do not use special
programs to block advertisements on the sites, however other respondents found it necessary.
30% of respondents do not know what it the censorship is, 10% of people think that it is using
reach vocabulary and words with normative lecture, 60% of respondents think that it is limit of
speech or restriction to inappropriate material. The result of the survey show 61% of
respondents says that censorship is a good way to protect children. The other 38% think that
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censorship is a one of possibilities to sell something, in other words, doing advertisements at
cites, but 2% of respondents think that in the internet can not be any kind of censorship
(Appendix A).
The big amount of respondents are school students, this situation really helps to get an
answer for my research question. The 15% of respondents does not know about censorship,
maybe because, they are don’t know what is the censorship. Blocking sites can not motivate to
study, because according to Tengrinews.kz users on the internet usually meet the censorship and
can not found necessary information because of censorship (Tengrinews, 2013). These problems
are consequences of wrong limitation of good sites. The most annoying are notifications on
social networks, as Pisarenko (2012) concluded that, social networks – the most revulsive in the
internet. The 60% of respondents do not use special programs to block advertisements, as
Krapenko (2013) prove that advertisements are not so annoying such as notification from social
networks by the survey. The 30% of respondents pay attention to the blocking sites, as
Tengrinews.kz (2013) says people feel the restriction by the censorship. The 61% of respondents
think that censorship is a good way to protect children, because in modern life on the internet
more than 5000 sites with inappropriate material, number is still growing (Nur, 2014).
Conclusion
In conclusion, my research thesis was, on the internet a lot of information, like personal
blogs, notifications in social networks and advertisement on websites, which need a filter. Two
perspectives were good and bad. The first perspective was that censorship is good because it
gives ability to keep people from some excess information and things. The second reason of
censorship’s good side is a censorship protects children from becoming corrupt by the materials
to adults. The second perspective was that censorship is problem because it restricts the amount
of the people, generates the lack of freedom of speech. Censorship prevents the free flow of
ideas. An implication for the future is that organization, which discover rules for the global
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internet, must block sites only with inappropriate materials and limit the notifications from social
networks, advertisements, but save the sites with necessary information.
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Reference list
APECSEC Organization (2014). Media Censorship Pros and Cons. Retrieved from:
http://apecsec.org/media-censorship-pros-and-cons/
Goldenfrog Organization (2013). Retrieved from: https://www.goldenfrog.com/vyprvpn
Karpenko, O. (2013). Bolshe chem 22% ludei blokiruyut reklamu v internete. Retrieved from:
http://ain.ua/2013/09/02/137585
Nur organization (2014, 07.31). Kazakhstan zablokiral promerno 500 saitov. Retrieved from:
http://news.nur.kz/324401.html
Pillai, P. (2012). Pros and cons of Censorship. Retrieved from:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-censorship.html
Pisarenko, D. (2012). Weekly "Argumenti i facty" №43. Expert: Twitter i socialnye seti
otvlekauyt ot realnoy zhizni. Retrieved from: http://www.aif.ru/society/37250
Tengrinews. (2014, 31.10). Okolo 1000 saitov bylo zablokirovano v Kazakhstane. Retrieved
from: http://24.kz/ru/news/social/item/32851-bolee-1000-vrednykh-sajtovzablokirovany-v-kazakhstane
UAdoc. (2012). Censorship and history of censorship. Retrieved from:
http://uadoc.com/interes/censura.htm
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Appendix A
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