Monday, February 1, 2010
Having lived my entire life in the United States, I might never know what it's like to be censored online as heavily as citizens of other countries are. People living in countries like Iran, China, and Burma have their resources and online content filtered by the government so the country's leaders can maintain their agenda of full reign over its people. In cyberspace, the world is literally flat with information and news being updated instantaneously. For Netizens (citizens in nondemocratic countries), this kind of Western technology can expose the truth about what happens inside borders as well as the juicy details of government corruption that could result in social and political change. For the dictatorial government, change out of their power is something to fear. To the people of the country, this change is sometimes a matter of life and death.
Google China was launched in 2006 with the goal of allowing Chinese citizens to surf the web and do business while having some government chosen content blocked online. Among the blocked content are websites or pictures that the Chinese government finds offensive, harmful, or threatening to the country. Americans have access to Twitter, YouTube, all websites on Google as well as Facebook. Chinese citizens don't have access to these kinds of websites because the country has set up a censorship and surveillance firewall called the Great Firewall of China. This firewall blocks many websites and many citizens don't know how to bypass the firewall.According to Amnesty International, there are about 64 people that have been arrested by the Chinese government for peacefully protesting online (Taylor). The government may impose harsh restrictions but soon there might be websites that can bypass the firewall. Citizens from other countries are already trying to bypass the government's rules. Burma engaged in pro-democracy protests and used cell phones to record video to share with the world. Citizen journalists began surreptitiously recording video and taking photos of the public beatings and abuses, transmitting them to the international press via mobile phone ("New Media and Development Communication"). In an Iranian Blog titled "Anonymous Iran, " unidentified writers discuss techniques to use digital devices such as cameras and phones to record violence and brutal killings within their country.
As for YouTube Direct, this website won't be any different than YouTube in my opinion. How will this website help anyone, anyway? Posting videos on YouTube's main website and organizing the video into an Entertainment category, news, sports, and vice versa has always been done. This new YouTube Direct website won't make much of a difference, especially overseas unless this website can bypass government detection and firewalls.
For the Chinese government, websites like Baidu will suffice temporarily and maybe for the long run since the Chinese citizens are under such a harsh strict government. Even with Westerns coaxing for a change, there might not be any lasting impact in the near future.
As for Burma and Iran, maybe there will be change in the near future since cell phones, blogs, and Twitter are exposing harsh realities and living conditions of the citizens in those countries. The government can't keep the "genie in the bottle" because technology is everywhere. Some countries control their citizens as if they are puppets on a stage, but with technology this may not be possible for long. As more people enter cyberspace and contribute vital information, social and political change is within reach. Netizens of nondemocratic countries know this, and so do their harsh governments. As for who will become winners in this technological war , well that is something we shall see in years to come.
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Works Cited:
Bellovin, Steven. "The New York Times." Can Google Beat China?. 15 01 2010. Web. 1 Feb 2010.
Google/China Flag picture: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/assets/images/2010/01 /22/100122161041_google_china_flag_ap_466.jpg
Google/China Flag picture: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/assets/images/2010/01 /22/100122161041_google_china_flag_ap_466.jpg
"Google and YouTube copies launch in China." guardian.co.uk. 28 01 2010. Web. 1 Feb 2010.
Iranian Blog: http://iran.whyweprotest.net/protest-advice/2658-mobile-camera-live-wifi-distribution.html
Iranian Blog: http://iran.whyweprotest.net/protest-advice/2658-mobile-camera-live-wifi-distribution.html
Lee, Timothy. "The New York Times." Can Google Beat China?. 15 01 2010. Web. 1 Feb 2010.
"New Media and Development Communication." Web. 29 Jan 2010.
Taylor, Richard. "Great Firewall of China." 06 01 2006. Web. 1 Feb 2010.
"New Media and Development Communication." Web. 29 Jan 2010.
Taylor, Richard. "Great Firewall of China." 06 01 2006. Web. 1 Feb 2010.
