There is a general perception that internet is for adults and if used by minor and children it’s considered an intrusion. However, this viewpoint may not be correct. Millions of children and young people around the globe are using the internet more actively in comparison with adults. In this regard. Their rights in the light of national and international laws should be taken into account before going into any debate of policy, rules, and regulations on the internet. According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the child and in many other international indicators, it is acknowledged that children develop their learning abilities as they grow (Powell et.al). This development process can lead to the use of prohibited or adult content. Therefore, both national laws and convention establish that kids and underage have all the rights to be protected against all kinds of exploitation.
The question arises that how a child can be protected against any exploitation in this vast globe of the internet where anyone can talk any other without being recognized? Also, do these rights by any means restrict the other rights of freedom of speech? Is there a system that can maintain a balance between the two rights? Those who advocate online child protection rights on the internet and the advocates of freedom of speech both are of the firm opinion that basic human rights must be protected under any condition. Actually, child abuse through online chatting has prompted activists to raise their voice much more strongly. In this regard, they are right in their approach.
Finally, there should be neutrality on the internet, without neutrality i.e. if contents are blocked by ISP without any clarification and on the instruction of authorities then it would raise so many objections from the society. In order to prevent children from assessing inappropriate content, moral teaching is necessary. Also, moderate supervision will serve the purpose in this regard. In this way, neutrality will be maintained along with the rights of freedom of speech.
Works Cited
Batch, Kristen R., Trina Magi, and Michelle Luhtala. “Filtering beyond CIPA: consequences of and alternatives to overfiltering in schools.” Knowledge Quest 44.1 (2015): 60.
Powell, Alison, Michael Hills, and Victoria Nash. “Child protection and freedom of expression online.” (2010). Anderson, D. Mark. “In school and out of trouble? The minimum dropout age and juvenile crime.” Review of Economics and Statistics 96.2 (2014): 318-331.
