by Ruth Belena

Created on: April 16, 2008

The Internet belongs to the world and no government has authority over it. There is no such thing as 'the government' in a worldwide community.

Some repressive governments have insisted on blocking certain websites, so people in their own country can be kept in ignorance of what others in the outside world are saying about human rights issues in that country. China employs thousands of people to spend all day monitoring websites. Other governments do the same and prosecute people who criticize their policies. These actions are not in the true spirit of the Internet. The Internet should be available to anyone as an open forum for sharing views and opinions, as long as they do not promote or encourage any illegal practices. Authoritarian monitoring and blocking tactics should have no place on the Internet.

There is already some official monitoring of activities on-line, and rightly so. Child abusers have been arrested and convicted for using the Internet to download or spread illegal images. Terrorist websites, showing how to make explosive devices, are regularly taken down. These measures and responses are not made by a single government but are achieved by co-operation between governments, and with the assistance of Internet Service Providers.

Taxing the Internet is unnecessary. All governments will benefit from on-line commerce. Any website needs a web hosting service, and usually this is a paid service. Tax is charged and goes to the government of the country where the web hosting service is located. People have to pay tax on many services and goods they buy on-line. Businesses have to pay tax when they operate on-line.

Everyone using the Internet needs to be aware that they are not using a local or national channel of communication. This is the first time in history when information has been accessible so freely and globally. Let us continue to make the Internet open to more people around the world. There should be less hatred and conflict in the world when people of all nations are united in sharing information, experiences and ideas over the Internet.

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