網路言論管制和網路自由運動

Abstract

近來對於網路言論的立法管制日漸普遍，無論是近來才鞏固其民主制度的東南亞國家，還是民主制度已經成熟穩定的歐美國家，皆積極立法管制網路言論。網際網路自其問世以來，即被視為表達個人自由和包容多元意見的科技象徵，此與其發源地美國的特殊時空條件息息相關。然而，當網路世界的擴張已經超越西方世界的地理疆界，非西方社會的網民成為網路世界的主要人口時，以美國經驗為基礎的管制精神即面臨大幅修正的壓力。要維護網路世界獨有的自由精神，全球共識的形成和公民社會對於此一過程的參與，皆至關重要。而歐美國家能否重拾對於網路自由的基本信念，以及歐美地區的公民社會組織能否和新興民主國家的公民社會組織有效結盟，則更為關鍵。

Regulations on Internet content has increasingly widespread recently. Not only governments in the newly democratizing countries in Southeast Asia but also those in the stable democracies in the West attempt to tighten their control over Internet content. Ever since its invention, Internet symbolizes a way to express individual freedom and accommodate heterogonous opinions with modern technology. It has a lot to do with the unique social condition of the country where Internet is invented, that is, the United States. However, when those who are from non-Western societies become the mainstay among the global netizens, the regulatory spirit based on the American experiences unavoidably faces pressure for redecoration. In order to maintain freedom spirit of Internet as it was invented, it requires the formation of global consensus and participation in the consensus building process by the civil society. Moreover, reassertion of a strong belief in Internet freedom by the advanced democracies and collaboration between civil society groups in the West and their counterparts in the emerging democracies would play a crucial role.