COMPUTER &

COMMUNITY
 CHAPTER OUTLINE

Freedom of Communication Censorships in

Speech Paradigm Cyberspace

Computer & The Digital

Community Divide
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
IN CYBERSPACE
Freedom
 Freedom of Speech
Freedom of speech refers to the
right to express any opinions
without censorship or restraint.

Cadangan peraturan yang berkaitan dengan kebebasan

bersuara:
a)    tidak boleh menyentuh isu-isu yang boleh
menjejaskan keharmonian dan keamanan Negara
b)    tidak boleh menghina dan mencaci kebudayaan,
adat resam dan cara hidup kaum kain
c)     tidak boleh membuat perhimpunan secara haram
terutamanya perhimpunan yang berbaur sentiment
perkauman
d)    menggunakan saluran yang betul untuk
menyuarakan pendapat
 Acts & Regulations
in Malaysia
• Malaysia acts and regulations that touch
on the freedom of expression:
– Internal Security Act (1960) Akta
Keselamatan Dalam Negeri
• Most controversial act in Malaysia
• The ultimate deterrent, for the minister
to detain any person who the minister
fears will act in any manner prejudicial to
the security of our country
• Chapter III - Special Powers Relating to
Subversive Publication
• In 2008, Raja Petra was arrested under
the ISA for being a threat to security –
blog writing.
 Acts & Regulations
in Malaysia
• Malaysia acts and regulations that touch
on the freedom of expression:
– Official Secrets Act (1972) Akta
Rahsia Rasmi
• Prohibits taking or distributing
documents prejudicial to the safety or
interests of Malaysia.
• Documents classified as official secrets
may be in the form of a map, plan,
photograph, disc, tape sound track, film
or other visual images.
• Very concerned with protecting
confidential government matters.
However, free flow of information
through the Internet makes it more
challenging.
 Acts & Regulations
in Malaysia
• Malaysia acts and regulations that
touch on the freedom of expression:
– Defamation Act (1957) Akta Fitnah
• A defamatory statement (verbal or
written) is an untrue statement which
disparages a person in his office,
profession, calling, trade or business
which injures a person’s reputation by
exposing him or her to hatred,
contempt or ridicule.

• Qualified privilege under section 12(1)

for the media if the statements made
by newspapers are found fair, accurate
and without malice.
 Acts & Regulations
in Malaysia
• Malaysia acts and regulations that touch
on the freedom of expression:
– Sedition Act 1948 (Amended in
1969) Akta Hasutan
• Act that touches on racial sensitivities
• Section 2 – states that any act, speech,
words or publications are seditious if
they have a “seditious tendency” such as
bringing hatred or contempt against any
ruler or government or the
administration of justice, or promotes
hostility among races or other groups.
• Jeff Ooi’s/Alvin Tan’s case when an
individual left a comment demeaning
and damaging the image of Islam.
 Acts & Regulations
in Malaysia

• Malaysia acts and regulations that touch on the freedom of

expression:
– Copyright Act 1987 and Copyright (Amendment) Act 1987
– Cyber Laws of Malaysia
– Communications and Multimedia Act (1998)
– The Printing Presses and Publications Act (1984)
 CHANGING
COMMUNICATION
PARADIGM
 Internet
• Today, the development of electronic technology has created
a revolution in the way information is disseminated and
communicated.

• The Internet has now aggressively replaced the other mass

media forms of expressing views.

• The Internet is a powerful and positive forum for free

expression.
 Internet
• The Internet is the first medium that allows anyone with
reasonably inexpensive equipment to publish to a wide
audience.

• It is the first medium that distributes information globally at

almost no marginal cost.

• The Internet has introduced a new form of speech in the form

of electronic speech.
CENSORSHIP IN
CYBERSPACE
 Offensive Speech
• Forms of speech found in cyberspace that some
consider offensive:
Political or religious speech.
Pornography.
Sexual or racial insults.
Libelous statements.
Abortion information.
Alcohol ads.
Spam.
 Offensive Speech
• In determining whether speech is offensive, the basic
guidelines for the trier of fact must be:
a) whether “the average person, applying contemporary
community standards” would find the material, taken as a
whole, appeals to the indecent interest of sex,
b) whether the work depicts or describes, in a patently
offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the
applicable state law, and
c) whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literacy,
artistic, political, or scientific value.
Hate speech is speech which attacks a person or
group on the basis of attributes such as gender,
ethnic origin, religion, race, disability, or sexual
orientation.
 Controlling Offensive Speech
in Cyberspace
• Filters
 Blocks sites with specific words, phrases or images
 Parental control for sex and violence
 Updated frequently but may still screen out too much or
too little
 Not possible to eliminate all errors

e bs ense Net Nanny

W

CyberPatrol
SurfWatc
h CyberSitter
 Material Inappropriate for Children
• Technology Changes the Context
– On the Web, children have access to the same ‘adult’ text,
images, videos, etc. as adults.
– Account owner don’t know the customer is not an adult.
• Protecting Children
Regardless of the medium:
• It is illegal to create, possess or distribute child
pornography.
• It is illegal to attract children into sexual activity.
 Threats Kids Face on the Net
• Cyber-bullying: When children are
threatened, harassed, or targeted by other
children using the Internet, mobile phone
or other digital technology.
• Cyber-grooming: A process employed by
child abusers to prepare a potential target
for abuse by befriending and gaining the
trust of a child.
• Identity theft: When someone uses your
personal information accidentally disclosed
or deliberately stolen, such as phone
number or birth date, without your
knowledge.
• Pornography: Children can be easily
persuaded to pose in sexual positions with
the right incentive and unknowingly
become victims of child pornography.
 Child Online Protection
• The guidelines for Child Online Protection (COP) were
already made available as early as 2009 by The International
Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations
specialized agency for information and communication
technologies.
• Malaysia:
– Malaysia’s IMPACT (International Multilateral Partnership
Against Cyber Threat’s) working on Child Online
Protection framework for 145 member countries.
– A task force on child online protection to curb cyber-
bullying will be ready by mid-2014, said the Women,
Family and Community Development Ministry
(November 27, 2013)
– Malaysia ranked second in Asia in 2020
for cyberbullying among youths
 Limiting Internet Access
in Libraries and Schools
• Filtering Software
– Benefit:
• prevent access to inappropriate material on the
Internet by screening words or phrases, blocking
sites according to rating system, or disallowing
access to specific sites in a list.
– Problems:
• can be ineffective
 kids get around the filters;
 the words, phrases, rating systems, etc. are
subjective;
 “banned” keywords can be overly restrictive
for adult users and for legitimate use by
minors.
 Spam

• Unsolicited, mass e-mail

• Cheap to senders but may impose costs on the recipient’s
time and/or the recipient’s online account.
• May contain objectionable content (political, commercial ads,
solicitations for funds, pornography, etc.).
• May contain a disguised return address.
• May pass through filters.
• Invades privacy.
• Creates a financial and managerial burden on ISPs.
Top Spam Categories
 Spam: Solution
• Try to avoid opening spam emails and clicking on links in spam
messages.
• Don’t buy anything from a spammer. Not only do you risk
comprising your security and infecting your computer with
malware - viruses and so on - you also reward and encourage the
spammers.
• Don’t be tempted to reply. The mailbox is probably unread.
• Don’t threaten the spammer. Some mails will be seen and
spammers have rights too. Threatening messages could expose you
to legal action.
• Avoid ‘unsubscribe’ options. Cynically, spammers often include an
‘unsubscribe’ link. Far from removing the menace, clicking it will
confirm that your address is active and probably attract even more
spam.
 Spam: Solution

• Use a disposable email address. You could use this account

especially for buying online or writing to newsgroups. If you find
that you are getting a lot of spam at this address, you can simply
delete it and set up another.
• Be wary about giving out your main email address. If in doubt, it is
a good idea to use a disposable address (see above).
• Never reveal your email address on your website. If you have a
website, putting your email address on it will be easy fodder for a
‘spambot’ that is harvesting addresses. You could use a web
contact form instead.
 Anonymity

• Early publications by some were published under pseudonyms.

• Today, there are publications on the Net that are posted
anonymously.
 Anonymity
• Anonymity is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as:
the quality or state of being anonymous.
• Anonymity is derived from the Greek word anonymia, which
means “with out a name” or “nameless”.
• Being without a name or with an unknown name a truly
anonymous message gives no information as to the identity of
the sender of the message.
• Sometimes you want to send something
without having your real name attached to it.
 Anonymity
• Maybe you want to discuss something that is going on in your
company, without identifying yourself as the sender of the
message.
• Anonymous remailer – These systems either give you an
anonymous address, to which other people can send you
mail, which is then forwarded to your real address (this is
sometimes referred to as a pseudonymous server), or they
post or mail your message without any trace of the sender's
name or address.
 Forms of Anonymity
• Use of a pseudonym
– it is a subset of anonymous message
– is the use of a false name
– don’t have an actual name on it, but there is some kind of
name the recipient of a message can connect to a sender
• Use of a onion router (encryption and re-route message in
unpredictable path)
• Masking a person’s voice or face
 Anonymity and Pseudonym
• Anonymity and pseudonymity has been use
for many purposes :
– hide certain information
– protect privacy of people
– protection of freedom of expression.
 Anonymity vs. Community
• Supporters of anonymity:
– say it is necessary to protect privacy and free
speech.
• Opponents of anonymity:
– believe it is anti-social and allows criminals to hide
from law enforcement.
 Problems with Anonymity
• Viruses
– Many virus writers use anonymity when creating these
malicious files that cause damage.
• Spam
– Anonymous emails set out in masses are both annoying
and illegal
– Used for offensive communication
• Slander and Illegal Threats
– Anonymity can help protect someone’s
identity who performs slander or makes
illegal threats.
– Discourages responsible discourse and
accountability
 Benefits from using Anonymity
• Anonymous Tips
 People who are afraid of revenge or dependent on a
company can use anonymity to reveal information that
should be known publicly.
 Examples:
• Exposing information about companies that are
unethical or in violation of the law,
• Giving tips that aid in catching a criminal.

• Political Criticizing
 Anonymous criticism of governments
allows people’s opinion to be voiced
without consequences.
 Benefits from using Anonymity
• Discussion of Embarrassing Information
 Anonymity allows people to discuss personal topics some
might consider embarrassing.
 Users could feel more comfortable releasing information
helping others.
• Equality
 Factors such as gender, race, and status can be taken out
of effect in discussions creating a more equal atmosphere.
 It allows people to be judged by their words.
• Communication
 can be a tool for timid people to dare
establish context.
COMPUTER &
COMMUNITY
 Human & Computer
• Various activities of human life using computer:

 Banking  Education
 Trading  Art
 Industry  Research
 Transportation  Recreation
 Hospital  Defense
 Communication
 ICT4D
• ICT4D (Information and Communications
Technologies for Development) is an
initiative aimed at bridging the digital
divide (the disparity between technological
"have" and "have not" geographic locations
or demographic groups) and aiding
economic development by ensuring
equitable access to up-to-date
communications technologies.
 ICT4D
• Information and communication technologies
(ICTs) include any communication device --
encompassing radio, television, cellular phones,
computer and network hardware and software,
satellite systems and so on, as well as the various
services and applications associated with them,
such as videoconferencing and distance learning.
• The United Nations, through its UN Development
Program actively promotes ICT4D as a powerful
tool for economic and social development around
the world.
 ICT4D
• Telehealth
• E-learning
• System for Community Health personnel
• System for accessing health information
• System for Agricultural best practices
• System for marketing information
• E-commerce systems to enable poor rural
populations market their products
• Knowledge for Development
 Net Neutrality
• Net neutrality, or open Internet, is the principle
that Internet service providers (ISPs) should give
consumers access to all legal content and
applications on an equal basis, without favouring
some sources or blocking others.
• It prohibits ISPs from charging content providers
for speedier delivery of their content on "fast
lanes" and deliberately slowing the content from
content providers that may compete with ISPs.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/02/24/net-neutrality-what-
is-it-guide/23237737/
THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
• The gap between individuals, households, businesses
and geographic areas at different socio-economic
levels with regard both to their opportunities to
access ICTs and to their use of the Internet for a wide
variety of activities

• Socio-demographic barriers
– Income, education levels, gender, age, disabilities
• Concern is growing that society may
eventually become divided into 2 distinct
groups:
– One having access to technology and able
to obtain information from the Internet
– Others unable to gain access to technology
and information
 Bridging Digital Divide
• Providing access to technology helps create
opportunities for social mobility
• Increasing technological access is key in
eliminating poverty
Bridging Digital Divide
• Malaysian Government
– National Broadband Initiative (NBI): to achieve
broadband penetration of 75 per cent by 2015.
– Distributing 1Malaysia branded laptops –
completely free of charge.
– 1Malaysia Pad
• Malaysia ICT Spending RM10b in 2013
• Kampung WiFi
 Neo-Luddite Views of Computers,
Technology, and Quality of Life

Criticisms of Computing Technologies

 Computers cause massive unemployment
and de-skilling of jobs.
 Computers “manufacture needs”; we use
them because they are there, not because
they satisfy real needs.
 Computers cause social inequity
 Computers cause social disintegration;
they are dehumanizing. They weaken
communities and lead to isolation of
people from each other.
 Neo-Luddite Views of Computers,
Technology, and Quality of Life

Criticisms of Computing Technologies

(cont.)
 Computers separate humans from
nature and destroy the environment.
 Computers benefit big business and
big government the most.
 Use of computers in schools thwarts
development of social skills, human
values, and intellectual skills in
children.
 Computers do little or nothing to
solve real problems.
Neo-Luddite Views of Computers,
Technology, and Quality of Life

 What is the purpose of technology?

 To Luddites, it is to eliminate jobs to reduce
cost of production
 To non-Luddites, it is to reduce effort needed
to produce goods and services.
 While both statements say nearly the same
thing, the first suggests massive
unemployment, profits for capitalists, and a
poorer life for most workers. The second
suggests improvements in wealth and
standard of living.
 Neo-Luddite Views of Computers,
Technology, and Quality of Life

Accomplishments of technology:
 Increased life expectancy
 Elimination or reduction of many diseases
 Increased standard of living
 Assistive technologies for those with disabilities
End of Chapter