Chapter 17
Objectives:
6.04, 6.05,
10.05, 10.06
Using the Internet
• Web sites: pages on the World Wide Web
that contain text, images, audio, and video
• Over 1 billion users
• ¾ of the population has access to the
internet
Using the Internet
• Uses:
– For gathering information from online
newspapers and magazines
• Archives: files of older stories
• Most sites are not nonpartisan
– E-government:
• Different levels of government have their own web
sites.
• Makes it easy to learn about public policy, request
services and participate in government.
Using the Internet
– For group action
• Web sites for interest groups
• Newsgroups: Internet discussion forums
• During election campaigns
– Major (and some minor) parties have their
own websites
• These may include newsletters and lists of
supporters or ideas
• May be biased!
Using the Internet
– Take part in elections through blogging
• Blog is short for “web log”; a personal online
journal.
• Blogs are a popular way to express ideas about
things
• Bloggers can post false or misleading info
– Making “grassroots” websites
• Equal to putting signs in your yard
• Can also be biased
• Official and Unofficial sites look similar.
Potential of the Internet
• Many assumed Internet would help spread
democracy.
• Most non-democratic gov’ts are limiting
online access.
– Many dissident sites – those that disagree
with the ‘established political system – are not
allowed.
• Also, internet empowers intolerant
extremist groups who seek to divide
society
Potential of the Internet
• Not all people have access to the internet.
– Schools and libraries offer free access though
• Extremist Groups: groups with ideas far
away from the political center
– Internet makes it easier for them to
communicate, spread propaganda, and get
new recruits.
– Terrorist groups – like al-Qaeda – also use the
internet.
Threats to Privacy
• Personal information (address, income,
etc.) can be stolen when you make online
purchases or go on certain sites.
• Legal protection of privacy is limited and
hard to enforce.
• Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act
(1998)
– Getting info from children under 13 requires
parental permission.
Threats to Privacy
• Gov’t:
– Monitors electronic communication
– Online surveillance
– NSA and Dept. of Justice
– Recently, gov’t requested records from search
engines like Yahoo and MSN.
– There has been debate about how this may
be conflicting with the 4th Amendment.
•Protection against unreasonable searches/seizures
Free Speech and the Internet
• Free speech is a constitutional right, but
hate groups and others create offensive
material and web sites.
– Computer users can block offensive material
– Communications Decency Act (1996)• Federal crime to send/display indecent or obscene
material over the Internet “in a manner available”
to anyone under 18.
Free Speech and the Internet
– Passed Child Online Protection Act (1998)
• Required Web sites to require users of all ages to
verify their ages
• This was struck down by Ashcroft v. American Civil
Liberties Union (2004)
• The Supreme Court, however, has ruled
that students’ activities on the Web can be
regulated
– Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier
Free Speech and the Internet
• Intellectual Property: things that people
create (i.e. songs, movies, books, etc.)
• Copyright: the owner’s exclusive right to
control, publish, and sell an original work
– Digital Millennium Copyright Act (1998) –
makes it a crime to develop or spread
software that will bypass computer codes that
protect copyrighted material
– Debates over file-sharing
Free Speech and the Internet
• E-commerce: using the Internet for
purchase and sales transactions
– Can avoid paying local sales-tax
– State/Local gov’ts lose revenue:
• The income that a gov’t or business collects
– Debate over collecting taxes for online-sales