As stated in Chapter 7 of “Blown To Bits”, we have reached a point of great uncertainty when it comes to the censorship of internet content. For instance, when it comes to the DOPA (Deleting Online Predators Act), there is not a clear sense of direction when it comes to the action being taken. People want to see some preventive measures being taken; they just aren’t sure where to put up the boundary lines just yet. As is the author’s state throughout both Chapter 7 and Chapter 8, there is no real situation to compare the internet to and everybody is learning as they go along. There is no precedent to look towards when it comes to regulating a medium as complex and ever-evolving as the World Wide Web.
While one half of the problem comes from the unfamiliarity of the technology, the other half of the problem is something that comes up every time a new medium for entertainment is invented. The definition of the word “obscene” and where to draw the line when it comes to posting obscene content is another major issue that makes internet censorship that much harder. The only definitions we have for obscene are on the local level, not a global level. This poses a problem because the internet is a system that was designed to be global.
As was also stated in the chapter, the effort for some kind of regulation is present. The issue being faced is that no one is sure the correct path to take that effort. Maybe the issue stems from the fact that many of the people in positions of power are simply too old. They lived most of their lives without the presence of something as daunting as the internet and now they are trying to put a leash on an exotic animal that they do not quite understand. Perhaps a good solution will only come when this generation takes power and we can actually put all the time we spend online to good use.

Citation:
Blown to Bits: Your Life, Liberty, and Happiness After the Digital Explosion.
Written by Hal Ableson, Ken Leden, and Harry Lewis
Pgs. 229-294