TOEFL iBT Writing for an Academic Discussion Stricter regulations or freedom of speech on the Internet? (Revised)

The internet has become a vital platform for free expression, but it has also been a medium where harmful speech can flourish, including hate speech, misinformation, and cyberbullying. Considering these issues, should there be stricter regulations regarding freedom of speech on the internet?

 

 

 

☆Let’s Think

1.       Share cases you know of the three kinds of harmful speech the professor mentions.

・Hate speech     e.g. Online right-wingers amplify hate against an ethnic group.

 

・Misinformation  e.g. In the first 72 hours after Noto Megaquake that happened on January 1^st, 2024, some politicians wrongly advised that volunteers not go to the affected areas to avoid traffic jam, which never happened. As a result, help was not available for those who were in need.

 

・Cyberbullying   e.g. Monomanias make hundreds of catfish and obsessively and incessantly send nasty messages to a target individual.

 

2.       Why should freedom of expression be protected?

 

3.       How is the online environment different from the offline environment?

 

 

☆Hints for Points

Agree (Stricter Regulations)

1.       Algorithms produce echo chambers, which work in favor of malicious intentions.

2.       Anonymity brings out the worst in the human mind. Misinformation and disinformation increase on the Internet because anyone can send information on it.

3.       The speed at which information spreads on the Internet is exponentially faster than that in the real world. Leaving online communication without regulation is dangerous especially in emergency.

4.       The online tattoo ruins the lives of the stigmatized victims, and the incidence is unprecedented.

5.       So far, control has depended on users’ common sense, but degradation of the human mind is happening now.

6.       Fascists are taking advantage of social media to agitate the public to discriminate against a certain group of people to wage war on the country that the people belong to.

7.       The scale of slander and libel on the internet is incomparable. Bullies will mentally harm the target individuals and drive them to commit suicide in the worst-case scenario.

 

Disagree (Freedom of Speech)

1.       The First Amendment of the US Constitution protects any speech, which is a powerful tool against rulers.

2.       Self-regulation by users and platforms has been utilized for further violation.

3.       The media are controlled by the government and big businesses. Restrictions will only be imposed negatively on the public or those in weaker positions.

 

 

☆Sample Body Structure

【Thesis】I cannot totally agree with Matt that restriction of the freedom of speech on the Internet can compromise democracy, because democracy is being lost due to the speed and the algorisms.

【Supporting Details】It takes only two or three hours for humans to pass around information online and just a few seconds for machines to fake it. By the time the correction is made and the truth is revealed, the damage is done. Lies remain and the victimized individuals have no way to reinstate themselves. Most voters will never know the truth of a bill or a candidate or learn it only after the election is over. Similar cases are found in other areas like healthcare and education. Thus, I think there should be some government intervention regarding the quality control of online information.

【Counterargument-treatment】Matt’s concern about the inviolability of the First Amendment is understandable as it regulates the state power, but the fact is that those who are ill-intentioned are taking advantage of naïve individuals through social media to get political results they want with impunity.

【Conclusion】This situation should be dealt with, and therefore I believe that harder restriction is necessary to prevent destruction of democracy. (195 words)