The Beneficial Effects of Restricting Internet Speech

1. The Beneficial Effects of Restricting Internet Speech Cecil Eng Huang Chua Information Technology & Operations Management aehchua@ntu.edu.sg

2. ICIS 2004 CFP • One of the most significant impacts of information systems has been their effect on promoting free and unfettered exchange of information across boundaries

3. Introduction • Tacitly accepted model of Internet Speech Diversity of Speech Democracy Accessibility Citizen Participation Anonymity • Is this model true?

4. This Research • Free speech suppresses speech • Restricting speech allows speech • If speech is not restricted, other speech cannot exist • Suppressed by “free” speech • Free speech and censorship can co-exist in Internet • Some places “free” • Some places “censored” • Encourages greater diversity of speech than purely “free” speech

5. Methodology • Proof by counterexample • At least one case where speech exists because other speech is restricted • Show situation is generalizable • Case site • Jewish newsgroups • Soc.culture.jewish • Soc.culture.jewish.moderated • Other Jewish newsgroups

6. Soc.culture.jewish

7. Soc.culture.jewish.moderated

8. Intention of soc.culture.jewish/moderated • Talk about Jewish practices • Jewish holidays • Leading a “good” Jewish life • Sourcing for Jewish paraphernalia • Holocaust rememberance

9. Soc.culture.jewish Not Intended For • Hate speech • Judaism vs. Other Cultural Practices • Israel • Mid-east Politics

10. However • Anti-semites, missionaries, etc. need a Jewish audience • Jews didn’t want to hear this speech • Anti-semites, missionaries, etc. would “ride” on Jewish conversation The jew Jacov Kurovsky on the orders of the jew Trotsky, shot and then bayoneted to death The Tsar, his wife, 5 children, their doctor, servanats and even their little pet spaniel in the cellar where they had been held since thier arrest by the bolsheviks. Re: Holocaust Calendar: February 20, February 19, 2003

11. Jews couldn’t talk • Fear of victimization • Disruption of conversation by Jew-haters • Lots of “noise” to read signal the combination of the high volume of postings and the large portion of those which are either off-topic, indiscriminately crossposted … or anti-Semitic has driven many readers and posters away from the newsgroup. RESULT: soc.culture.jewish.moderated moderated passes 212:34, July 9, 2000

12. Jews couldn’t create new newsgroup • Anti-semites, missionaries, etc. follow to other newsgroups • Need Jews to hear speech

13. Final Solution • Create New Newsgroup • Restrict posts: Human moderators • No mid-east politics • No hate speech • No sermonizing Yes, believe it or not. There are still real Jews who post to this swamp we call SCJ. However, if you would like Jewish conversation without having to wade through the antisemitism, missionaries, etc. you can post to SCJM (soc.culture.jewish.moderated). Is anyone here Jewish?, March 4, 2004

14. Postings in Newsgroup

15. Jewish newsgroups today • Soc.culture.jewish • Venue for hate speech/missionizing, etc. • Some Jews frequent newsgroup • Rebut anti-jewish rhetoric • Soc.culture.jewish.moderated • Venue for Jewish culture • Some internal problems • Disagreement between Jewish denominations

16. Theorizing About Free Speech • Why does the freedom to speak not promote “free” speech? • Suppressive speech • Speech that when articulated drives out other kinds of speech • Special case of “non-community” speech

17. Non-Community Speech • People visit virtual community for two reasons • Talk about things “relevant” to community • Not talk about things “not relevant” to community • Non-Community speech is “not relevant” • Expensive to read or filter • Can carry hurtful message • Can promote other non-community speech

18. “Normal” Strategy • When non-community speech becomes expensive • Community Splits • Old community retains non-community flavor • New community preserves old community flavor • “No one forces you to listen”

19. Suppressive Speech • Is non-community speech requiring a community audience • Pursues community members to new community • “forces you to listen” • Only solution: restrict it

20. Q&A