Formal letter

Writing task 16/4/19 Formal letter                   REVISED                      Ana Guilabert H.

CENSORSHIP AND THE INTERNET

-Limiting the exposure to extreme viewpoints is more important than preserving freedom of speech.

-As most people don’t have enough self-control to censor their own Internet use, governments should do it for them.

-People under the age of eighteen are especially vulnerable and their access to the Internet should be severely limited through a reliable proof-of-age scheme.


Dear editor,


I am writing in response to Magdalena Mira’s article about censorship and the Internet which appeared in the online edition of your newspaper. While I agree with some pertinent points the author mentions in it, I would like to enlighten readers about some aspects missed.


It goes without saying that preserving freedom of speech is essential in a democratic society but, should we not limit exposure to extreme viewpoints? Is it not the case that governments have to protect people from hate and extremism? It would be difficult to argue that we did not protect our society from those using the Internet against its deepest values.


Of course it is true that the Internet has opened a wide range of opportunities for business, relationships, knowledge and that it has been changing the way we approach the world we live in in the last years. But, as too many people are not capable of self-control, some lines have to be drawn so as not to damage the other people’s rights. We should not be afraid of addressing this contentious issue, what is more, it will be extremely beneficial for the Internet if we want it to last so many years the way we know it today.


There is a key point not mentioned at all in the article and it is the access of children and under-eighteen people to the Internet. It is well known that the number of children using the Internet regularly has boosted in the last years. They are the most vulnerable when talking about inappropriate content and they are exposed to serious danger. Teenagers cannot be forgotten here as they are reckon to spend an average of more than six hours per day staring at the screens of their mobile phones or their computers, using apps or software connected to the net. And it is a given that most of them are under the age required to use this software or social networks, so that strict measures have to be taken to be sure no child nor teenager accesses a platform without being the obligatory age.


To sum up, some limits have to be set so as to protect the youngest and the values on where our democracy rests.