Abstract
This report examines the differing policies toward access to the internet in the USA and China. In an age where greater and greater levels of communication are becoming the norm, there are still certain regimes who regard the internet as a potentially threatening resource for those who would seek to challenge current institutions or who would wish to organise against the government. This report examines the two different nations and how their internet access is governed. To a large extent it is concluded that the manner in which internet access is controlled in the respective nations is relative to the two very different political systems that operate within them. As a result. the paper looks at how the Chinese system is heavily regulated and centrally controlled, whereas the USA system is much less regulated and responds more to the judiciary and to legal grounds for censorship rather than the preservation of the state.

From the Paper
"The internet has changed the way people live in quite dramatic ways. It has opened up new channels for political dissent and has offered the opportunity for communication on a scale that was previously never thought possible. There are many cases worldwide where the internet has been used to unite people and to aid their struggles. The concept of new social movements and the ability of movements such as the Zapatistas in Chiapas, Mexico to survive and prosper is due in large part to their ability to reach a wide audience as a result of the internet. Without this access to the internet it would most likely have been the case that the Zapatista movement would have wiped out by the Mexican army. However, as a result of their ability to garner support from across the globe they were able to shine a light on events in Chiapas and gain international support for what they were doing. As a result of this they undermined the Mexican state and won their battle (at least for now). Control over this medium is therefore a key issue which can have very significant outcomes on politics."

Tags:Censorship globalization freedom, information web access

Abstract
This paper focuses on Government to Citizen (G2C) transactions mainly in the US. These include citizens' services and digital democracy. The concept of electronic government is to provide services and information to citizens electronically, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As the demand for electronic services increases, governments are challenged to provide these services to citizens. Digital democracy may be defined as any electronic exchange of value in the democratic process. The spectrum includes Online Campaigns, Internet Voting, and Constituency Participation.

What is e-government?
Citizens Services
Digital Democracy
Political Online Campaigning
Disadvantages of Web advertising
Online Fund Raising
Internet Voting
On-line Voting Initiatives
Why Internet voting?
Requirements of an Internet voting system
Security Problems meeting requirements of an Internet voting system
Implementation Problems
Vision
The Impact of the Internet on Democracy
Direct Democracy
Representative Democracy
Digital Divide
Conclusion The year 2005

Tags:campaign, fund, internet, online, politics, raising, voting

Abstract
This paper discusses the government's attempt to censor pornographic material on the internet which the writer feels would infringe on the freedom of expression. This paper also includes a brief but detailed history of the internet. This paper examines the various bills the U.S. government is trying to pass to prevent misuse of the Net. The writer of this paper also discusses the installation of censoring software as an alternative solution to government censorship.

From the Paper
"The Internet can also be compared to a church. In many ways the Internet is like a church: it has its council of elders, every member has an opinion about how things should work, and they can either take part or not. It's the choice of the user. The Internet has no president, chief operating officer, or Pope. The constituent networks may have presidents and CEO's, but that's a different issue; there is no single authority figure for the Internet as a whole."

Tags:pornography, censorship, freedom, of, expression, rights, government, law, minors, legislation

Abstract
This paper explains that the security problems of the Internet largely are due to the design structure of the Internet; there is no central hub to control information and thus no rules on regulation. The author believes the government finds itself incapable of passing any sort of control measures on the use of the Internet because the users have all the power to control or regulate user discipline. The paper stress that, to find and assess Internet security involving hackers and breakers-in, partnerships within the concerned industry must be formed, whereby, each partner helps the other in case of a breach in security.

From the Paper
"It was originally known as "Darpanet" and was a defense device to aid the Government in the eventuality of a nuclear war. The defense personnel used this Darpanet to communicate messages between the various Government networks. The later form of this type of communication came to be known as the "net" or the ?Internet.? Now there are more than 30 million users from all over the world, and there are more than 40 million sites on the Internet. From its humble beginning when the connection was given to universities in America, to the present day when connections are given to small businesses, to Internet Service Providers, and to individual users, the Internet has indeed come a long way. The Internet can now be accessed by any number of users, both private and public, and the service is offered by a large number of Internet providers."

Tags:hackers, university, government, partnerships, crime

Abstract
As the leading provider of networking products for the Internet, Cisco Systems uses e-commerce via the internet. Therefore, according to the paper, Cisco Systems adamantly opposes any government regulation, such as taxing internet traffic, that would impinge on the efficiency and growth of e-commerce. This paper looks at the ways in which Cisco Systems is affected by government regulation.

From the Paper
"Other laws and proposed laws also have caused concern for both Cisco Systems and the industry. Both the Congress and several states are considering laws to protect individual privacy on the Internet. Both Cisco and the industry oppose such a law, holding that the industry can be more effective through self-regulation. Another law that has been proposed frequently by some members of Congress and by some states would apply taxation to Internet activity. Both Cisco and the industry argue that taxation would cripple e-commerce just as it is beginning to grow. Thus far, the lawmakers have backed down on taxation proposals for the Internet."

Tags:e-commerce, internet, growth, industry, products

Abstract
This paper examines how, in an Internet=based world, PICS (Platform for Internet Content Selection) uses software that is put as a filter between the individual receiving the information and the online information provider. It describes how PICS is an incredibly flexible and potentially effective mechanism for content control on the Internet. It also discusses how it just might be too flexible and effective, since it creates an infrastructure that can be easily adopted to enforce a tight censorship net. It also shows how PICS can be manipulated by a government as a censorship tool because it can be installed to function as a censorship net, catching or filtering out whatever the government wants excluded.

From the Paper
"As mentioned above, PICS software recognizes a universal format of labels, but the content itself is not evaluated and labeled according to any one, universal standard. Providers of information either label their own content according to their own standard or leave the task to independent organizations. Each individual user can select the labeling standard that most conforms to their own standard. But this flexibility comes at a high cost. A new and separate market was created for organizations, each with a separate set of values, that create rating services that provide labels. Rating, however, is a very labor-intensive process."

Tags:regulation, control, government, information

Abstract
This paper reviews seven articles regarding e-government, i.e. the role and scope of the Internet in providing public service and governance. Issues covered by the paper include the rhetorical and reality of e-government, global considerations, and site liability.

Tags:E-Government, Internet, governance, public service

Abstract
This paper discusses how Internet and information technology have given rise to new techniques of investigation and new forms of surveillance and how law enforcement officials view these as powerful tools in the fight against terrorism and cybercrime. It looks at how government and corporate interests have successfully increased surveillance powers over the Internet and cyberspace and the implications of these new powers for privacy rights.

Outline
Security and Corporate Interests
Big Brother
Common Ground

From the Paper
"For privacy advocates, these laws expanding law enforcement authority and court rulings regarding piracy and copyright have dealt tremendous blows to individual civil liberties regarding online and Internet activities. The EFF argues, for example that the Patriot Act "expands surveillance while reducing checks and balances." As a result, the government may spy on innocuous activities such as web surfing, even on Americans who are not specific targets of investigation. In addition, the Patriot Act's provisions regarding reciprocity allow foreign intelligence agencies to spy on American people's activities online (EFF 2001)."

Tags:terrorism, cybercrimes, cyberspace, government, surveillance

Abstract
This paper examines Internet censorship in the UK and UAE, discussing government goals and differences between secular states and religious states, including the laws enacted to restrict online information. The paper includes a history of Internet censorship.

From the Paper
"The following presents the topic of Internet censorship in UAE versus the UK. The history of Internet censorship is discussed with an argument for and against blocking web contents, with examples from both countries. A relationship between two kinds of government models is noted for the comparison of UK as a secular state and UAE as a religious state. This is followed by a summary and conclusions.
"The Internet is described as a collection of interconnected computer networks..."

Tags:internet censorship, UK, UAE, religious, secular, online, laws

Abstract
The writer of this paper examines the pros and cons of relying so heavily on the rapidly advancing electronic communication that's so readily available. This paper discusses the impact that the internet has on our daily lives as well as the mixed reactions and assumptions as to the real capacity of its ability to bring about changes in society. The writer ponders whether the experiences and actions of an individual in cyberspace are actually influenced by his/her everyday-life experiences. This paper contends that the internet is a tool to disseminate information and enhance communication and is beyond being just an alternative means of distributing information and communication as it has the capacity to contribute in the transformation of spatial and temporal organization of life. This well-researched and informative paper details how the internet may be used as a tool to advocate a nation's claim to self-determination. In the case of the Tibetans, the official website of the Tibetan government, that is in exile, aims to foster communion among Tibetans worldwide as well as to lobby their claim for self-determination in a global political realm that they are able to reach via the internet. Another example is the case of the Chiapas rebellion in which the internet was used by the Zapatistas to mobilize support locally in Mexico as well as internationally. This paper also discusses the benefits of this advanced technology in developing countries where a wide gap, called the digital divide, currently exists.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
On Internet
On Power Relations
On Virtual Communities and Cybernations
On Sociological Transformation
Synthesis
References

From the Paper
"In defining what a virtual community is, Wilbur argues that it is not advisable that the concept of virtual community is fitted into some known social reality. Old concepts should not be used in defining new phenomena. It is fine that a rich concept has many definitions. Every meaning that we ascribe to the concept of virtual community is a construct based on how the concept appeals to us. For Foster, communities found in the Internet are virtual but may not be sufficiently communal. For Slevin believes that virtual communities' and textual cyberspaces' existence depends on real people and real organizations. Cybernations are referred to as "non-territorially-bound communities." According to Hamilakis, although it is believed that the Internet is a medium that transgresses national and other boundaries, hence, defying the ideology of seclusion we call nationalism, the Internet is actually used as a tool to reproduce nationalist discourse."

Tags:communication, technology, computer, internet, developing, countries, political, social, society