Censorship has been a topic of heated debate for a long time, the matter having spread like wildfire in

our society over the last couple of years. With the power to access information at humanity’s fingertips,
one can learn about an event in a matter of minutes after it happened, however, not before information
blackout plays its part. Regardless of the type of incident, pieces of information are withheld from the
population, which can be both beneficial and detrimental to the people.

Despite general belief that censorship exists only to benefit public figures and to curtail the freedom of
regular men and women, its main purpose is to protect them. The internet is a source of information,
which includes several sensitive issues such as racism, violence or pornography. Not being allowed to
access these kinds of materials, whether online or on cable television, represents a means to lowering
the number of people, particularly children, that may copy the kind of behavior they see. Not only is the
suppression of information thought to help in avoiding conflicts, especially social or religious, but it is
also a way to stop the spread of false rumors, when political or economic issues occur.

Nonetheless, avid believers that information blackout is a violation of human rights argue that people
are entitled to freedom of speech and to personal concerns, and that it restricts citizens from exercising
their right to express different points of views on world matters. Moreover, the existence of loopholes in
the enforcement of censorship hardly makes it effective, and, although several laws exist against
cybercrimes, illegal information can still leak on the internet. It is also considered by many an unneeded
expense due to the constant necessity for new technology and personnel.

Taking everything into account, censorship is a powerful tool that can either be advantageous or
unfavorable for the society.