Free Essay on Why the US Government Should Have Full Power to Monitor Social Media

I'm writing to you to express my view on why the US government should have full power to monitor social media.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Introduction

The trend of increased internet users in the world has attracted the governments to monitor what happens on the internet to protect its citizens (Teta et al., 2015). The rising cases of teenager signing up easily on social media and rise in terrorism cases calls for government intervention on social media. Therefore, the US government should have full power to control social media in the country.

Monitoring Protects Minors on Social Media.

Research by knowthenet.org.uk found out that over fifty-nine percent of kids have used at least one of the social networks at the age of ten. This exposes them to unwanted adult contents. With government monitoring the social network, there can be an easy control on who signs up into a social network.

Children who access social media contents are prone to sexting. If the government has full power over social media, it can protect children from sex predators.

Children would be protected from kidnappers who prey them on social media if the government to take control of social media.

Monitoring Protects National Security.

There is a rise in the use of social media to incite people thus resulting to a security threat. In 2009, thousands of people took to streets in Xinjiang province in China which became chaotic. Protesters used Facebook and Twitter to gather in the demonstration area.

The US government can monitor all information that is harmful and a threat to national security.

Circulation of state's security details on social media can be blocked if the government takes full power in monitoring social media (Economist).

Monitoring Prevents Potential Terrorist Attacks.

Schulz (2012) argue that since many cases of terrorism are planned through social media, use of surveillance software can help to deter such happenings.

Many terrorist groups recruit their followers through social media where they meet desperate youth who fall into their trap.

Since terrorists sometimes use social media to discuss on their proceedings of attacks, there is a great possibility that they use fake account names.

In conclusion, the benefits associated with the government having full power to monitor social media overrule the disadvantages as stated in the facts above.

Works Cited

Economist, The. "The terrorist in the data." Cyber-security (2015).

Stamati, Teta, Thanos Papadopoulos, & Dimosthenis Anagnostopoulos. "Social media for openness and accountability in the public sector: Cases in the Greek context." (2015).

Schulz, G.W. "Web Surveillance Through Social Media Sites A Powerful Tool For Local Law Enforcement." (2012).