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Should the Internet be monitored and taxed by the government?
Results so far:
| Yes | 9% | 49 votes | Total: 516 votes | |
| No | 91% | 467 votes |
Yes
by Roxanne Dubarry
Created on: November 05, 2007 Last Updated: December 26, 2007
I do agree that the Internet be monitored, but not taxed by the government. Subscribers already pay their Internet providers regular monthly fees for the privilege of utilizing the various valuable services they offer their customers.
Recently, I read an article in our local newspaper about a sexual predator who was using the Internet to solicit sex from teen-aged boys ranging in the ages from 12 to 14. Various local police officials masquerading as young boys responded to his messages. One of the police officials operated from the eastern seaboard. The other was a local law enforcement officer. When local police officials searched his home, they found)(sexually explicit photos of young males. The sex offender was a member, in good standing of a local church, and a choir me member.
By accessing e-mail messages, subscribers have access to various services.
In a Reader's Digest article Entitled "That's Outrageous," the feature writer exposed many diploma mills. Some even offered degrees to family pets. He applied for a degree in the name of his pet. But though he did not mention it to the correspondence course. They offered no courses, or per-requirements for the diploma.
Recently, I received an e-mail from a former bank that Have not conducted business for several years. The e-mail notice notified me that they needed more information to help process my account. Had provided them with inadequate information. The bank not only included my name, but My current address as well. Since I conducted my financial business with the bank, at my former address, they could have no access to my current address. I have been instructed not to respond to e-mail notices requesting personal financial information.
A friend of mine, responded to an e-mail add. What she received for her efforts, was a
computerized "worm" that completely destroyed her computer. She is currently saving money for another computer. In the meantime she does have access to the Internet computers available for free at her local library.
At my former home, I responded to an offer by a product development company. I actually paid them a down payment. My idea was simple. Many people in wheel chairs have a problem reaching) for items out of their immediate reach. My proposed product, called an extended arm wheelchair would help them reach items they couldn't, and help the handicapped My mother drew a wheelchair, and I described it's function. I contacted the better business bureau, as well as other agencies. They had a pending law suit against them. Even though they were cleared by my state's Secretary of State, I canceled my contract with them. Fortunately, the only small investment I lost was $100.00, a partial down-payment.
Without government monitoring of the Internet, they would have a more difficult keeping track of illegal activities. They need to monitor it to protect us. However, they don't need to tax Internet customers for the privilege of protecting them.
Learn more about this author, Roxanne Dubarry.
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No
by Dean Ralph
Created on: November 26, 2009 Last Updated: November 27, 2009
There are a few reasons why the Government should not tax the internet. First off, they already are. You as an internet subscriber are already paying taxes, although not directly. As with every service, taxes that the provider must pay are figured into the service price. The providers are paying an income tax on the money they make. So for all intents and purposes the Government is already taxing the internet.
The second thing one must take into consideration is the economic impact that further taxing the internet would have. Consider the fact that the internet is a global enterprise. If the United States imposed further taxes on websites or service providers, these companies would just move their primary business location out of the country.
They would still have the same amount of customers and not have to pay the higher taxes. This would cause job loss and ultimately, a loss in tax revenue for the government. If the government were to tax the people based on internet usage, it would have almost the same effect.
Thousands of companies are saving millions of dollars annually by using the internet for conferencing, communication, advertising and sales. To tax these companies would cause loss of jobs due to the decrease in profit margin.
The same would be true if the people that were shopping online and ordering their business inventories via the internet were being taxed for using the internet. Sales would drop causing the loss of jobs as well. Once again leading to a loss in tax revenue for the government instead of an increase.
As for the government monitoring the internet, that can go either way. Rest assured, there are agencies out there that are already doing this. For the Government to monitor web content for illegal activity such as Child pornography or terrorist communication should be allowed.
For the government to monitor individuals for religious or other data should not be allowed. Information found in blogs, e-mails or other open forum sites should not be allowed to be collected unless illegal activities are being threatened or conspired.
They should not be allowed to collect information on individuals based on religious, political or other personal topics. For them to monitor the communication and internet activity of a specific individual or organization, should require a court order where just cause has been shown by the government.
Like a search warrant, it should be topic specific. It should state exactly what the government is monitoring the people for, such as terrorism, scams, Child pornography etc. Any information gathered during the monitoring period not directly covered by the court order would be inadmissible.
For example, if they had a court order for the website Helium.com for suspected terrorist conspiracies and they uncovered promotion of Child Pornography, they would not be able to use that against the website without returning to court and getting another court order. The intenet should fall under the rights of free speech and general right to privacy laws.
Learn more about this author, Dean Ralph.
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