Issue Question: Internet Restrictions

In our top story this week we reported on protests taking place in Europe over the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). People are upset over this new agreement because they fear it will lead to online censorship. Recently here in the U.S. websites like Wikipedia and Craigslist went dark to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA). Both organizations protested against these proposed acts out of fear of widespread online censorship. Protestors believe that these acts will violate the public’s freedoms of speech and expression. Others who work in the areas of entertainment, fashion, and pharmaceutical sales feel that restrictions and laws need to be placed on the Internet to have some control over the content being used. With these restrictions, copyrighted materials can be protected and illegal items, such as drugs, will be easy to track and remove. We want to know what you think, “Should governments be allowed to place restrictions on the Internet?”