I.IntroductionThis document addresses the question of whether we should censor or block access to websites with controversial material. Analyzes the issue from different points of view: what US laws are in place, how censorship is used at university and corporate levels, how other countries are trying to censor, and finally what I think about the topic. Given everything I read while preparing this article, I have come to the conclusion that without a globally accepted set of rules, we should not censor the Internet except in cases where those rules are broken. Maybe we could get a deal for those things that are obviously illegal and unethical (child pornography), but what about other industries like gambling (is it legal but unethical or vice versa?). There would be very few rules we could agree on if 100% global agreement were a requirement, and I believe it is.II. America's point of viewA. The Laws The United States government has enacted (or attempted to enact) several laws regarding free speech and the Internet. A brief overview of these follows. 1. The First Amendment Given the brevity of the First Amendment, it has caused a surprising amount of controversy and an untold number of new laws and regulations. The text simply states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or restrict freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. "[i]The First Amendment has been applied to varying degrees depending on the type of media itself. Television and radio are both broadcast media and are subject to strict government regulations regarding cont...... middle of paper ......8520&key2=7604425701&coll=portal&dl=ACM&CFID=16081397&CFTOKEN=88949163[xxxi] Ministry of Information and Communication and the Arts, Working Together Towards a Responsible and Vibrant Society, 2003, 8 February 2004, http:/ /www.mita.gov.sg/pressroom/press_030908.pdf[xxxii] Amnesty International, People's Republic of China Controls Tighten as Internet Activism Grows, 28 January 2004, 8 February 2004, http://web.amnesty. org/library/Index/ENGASA170012004[xxxiii] Julie Hilden, The First Amendment and the Internet, Why Traditional Legal Doctrines Apply Differently in Cyberspace 2002, January 24, 2004, http://writ.findlaw.com/hilden/20020416.html [xxxiv] Tina Inzerilla, “Re: hello there,” email to author, February 2004[xxxv] Jennifer Rast, The UN Plan to Take Over Internet, Contender Ministries, January 10, 2004, February 11, 2004, http://www .contenderministries.org/UN/wsis.php