Since it was made available to consumers in the 1990s, the Internet has forever changed the way we can communicate with others. With technological improvements and the rise of emerging countries, the accessibility of the Internet will only increase with time. Such a possibility is full of problems, problems that were later highlighted by the September 11 attacks. With the widespread use of the Internet the means to cause harm increase and for some this vulnerability justifies censorship of Internet material that will aid criminals/terrorists. Internet censorship is not a viable option in which any government can participate. By censoring the Internet the government violates the basic human rights of its citizens, it would become a costly endeavor and it is a lost cause. For starters, by censoring the Internet a country violates its citizens' rights to free speech and other basic human rights. Censorship ensures control of human expression, and it would make sense that governments that fear riots would be those that favor them. China, whose “government officials are concerned that as the number of Chinese homes with telephone lines grows from its current level by less than 4 percent, the state will become totally unable to monitor residents' Internet axes” (CIA 1) is a perfect example of how censorship is just a ploy to control the flow of ideas. Unfortunately for Chinese officials, Internet use has exploded and with it has come a serious loss of credibility and control over the population. When the government lost control, it only strengthened its stance on censorship. Human Rights Watch says China achieves this by “asking Internet search companies and state media to censor issues officially deemed “sensitive… half the paper… of the world to overthrow oppressive regimes.” While there are risks to not censoring the Internet, they will always exist, and the benefits that humanity can derive from an uncensored Internet far outweigh the risks. Works Cited Anna Sthesia, . NP Rete. 30 March 2014. "Chinese media: more autonomous and diversified - within certain limits". Central intelligence agency. Central Intelligence Agency, June 19, 2013. Web. March 30, 2014. Pritchard, Justin. “Rough hiding of post-9/11 data persists.” Newsday. 22 August 2011: np SIRS Issues Researcher. Network. April 07, 2014. Roleff, Tamara L. “Current Issues: Civil Liberties.” Current topics: civil liberties. 2009: np Researcher on SIRS issues. Network. 07 April 2014.Tor, . “Tor Project: Overview.” . Np, nd Web. April 4 2014. .