Splinternet and cyberbalkanisation - two key terms

12:19:00 PM
Splinternet and cyberbalkanisation - two key terms -

In discussions about the ongoing threat of widespread Internet censorship in - but not exclusively - countries with Iran, China, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and South Korea, there are a couple of different terms that are often used, but could do with some explanation. They are cyberbalkanisation "and" splinternet . "

Although the two words relate primarily to the same, they differ slightly in their application. The first cyberbalkanisation, describes the process by which the censorship and the application of filters on Internet content causes fragmentation or subdivisions within, while the second, splinternet, is a pun coined to describe the Internet as it exists in each separate nation providing its own separate version for users of its country.

Cyberbalkanisation not only about censorship, however, but also the most innocuous questions apparent targeted advertising, where algorithms can track your online activity and target you with banner ads and messages of products based on this you searched or purchased.

sake of people have with cyberbalkanisation however, whether about censorship or advertisement designed for the user is that it can lead to a narrow view of the world, interrupt people alternatives that might question their beliefs or current tastes.

In his 01 book, Republic.com , Cass Sunstein put forward this argument by saying that splinternet could actually weaken democracy because it allows people to isolate themselves in groups that they feel they can identify, cutting any information that might challenge them out of the loop.

that this is true is perhaps something we will not know until it starts to happen, but it is clear that filtering or outright censorship of the contents of Internet already creates big differences in what information can be accessed by which through different nations.

one way to get around some of these restrictions, already being used by people around the world, is the use of a virtual private network, or VPN, to access the Internet. By encrypting all information in and out online, a virtual private network will help prevent regulatory agencies or the Internet service providers from the application blocks that you access because they are less likely to be able to see anything - from Web history to emails -. through the VPN connection

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