Research Paper on:
Freedom of Speech, the Internet, and Legal and Social Issues

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
which arise regarding the way in which the Internet exemplifies freedom of speech and expression, and whether the medium should be subject to any form of regulation. It is not,  for example, a pervasive medium and it might therefore be assumed that responsibility for access lies with the individual user rather than with any external regulatory body.  Most countries agree that illegal material on the Net should be removed and the perpetrators  prosecuted in the same way as with any other material, but it is recognised that there a number of pragmatic difficulties involved with any form of policing of the Internet.  In addition, whilst it is easy to assess  what is illegal, deciding what is harmful can only be subjective. Consequently, it could be asserted that whilst illicit material should be removed wherever possible, in general it is not  possible to regulate the Net further than this, and therefore it can still be considered an example of public freedom of speech and expression. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  There are a number of issues involved in the question as to whether or  not the Internet should be subject to regulation, or whether this would have the effect of destroying the freedom of expression which it currently exemplifies. Even though Internet provision is  by no means available globally as yet, for many in the developed world it is an integral part of their work, education and entertainment: consequently, there is considerable debate as