Internet isn’t truly open.

When you listen the term internet, what is the first thing that comes to your mind. Probably the vast knowledge on offer, openness and the equal treatment the internet offers to all users.

But do you know the internet you use in India is different from the one in US which is again greatly different from China. By different I mean that all these 3 countries have access to different set of websites. A popular website in US is more likely not accessible / banned in China.

This can be because of 2 reasons:

1. The China govt has banned the website for some reason.

2. The US website owner has blocked Chinese users.

The govt usually bans a website when it has offensive / obscene content. While a website blocks a country because it’s not offering services in those countries or just plain bias.

Many US websites which offer nothing more than information are not accessible from poor black countries. The website owners just don’t want black people benefitting from their site.

But wait, internet was meant to be open, for everyone. If this were the case then this blocking and banning sites based on location is against our internet ethics.

The problem here is the lack of a global authority over the internet which would decide what is right or wrong with the internet. This leaves website owners on their whims, who can simply block access from an entire country in just a click.

Here, you see, the internet is not open nor does it treat everyone equally. The internet is biased, you just weren’t aware of it until now.

-ChoubeySahab