Cyberethics: Morality and Law in Cyberspace, 5th Edition

CHAPTER THREE

Free Speech and Content Controls in Cyberspace

The Internet has clearly expanded the potential for individuals to exercise their First Amendment right to freedom of expression. The Net’s technology bestows on its users a vast expressive power. They can, for instance, disseminate their own blogs, create a home page on Facebook, or even initiate their own Twitter service. According to Michael Godwin, the Net “puts the full power of ‘freedom of the press’ into each individual’s hands.”¹ Or as the Supreme Court eloquently wrote in its Reno v. ACLU (1997) decision, the Internet enables an ordinary citizen to become “a pamphleteer … a ...