While most of the world sees the Internet as a tool that still stands to broaden our horizons and increase opportunities for communication, learning, entertainment, and business, it is clear that China sees the Internet as a threat.  China is not alone in this thought.  There are many politicians, even in the United States that cannot get passed the wicked stepchildren of the Internet porn and online casinos.

Although the sex industry and online casinos make up a significant amount of business on the Internet, these industries do not seem like such a plague when they are viewed from a more rational standpoint.  Every business in the world has found a way to increase exposure and do cheaper, more lucrative business online; this will obviously include such vice related sites as online casinos and pornography.

The Chinese answer to the Internet has been sweeping filtering decrees that threaten to ruin the growth potential of one of the greatest inventions in the history of man. Censorship measures by the Chinese have included the Green Dam Youth Internet filtering project, a decree that only allows medical professionals to view websites that focus on sexually related research, and a law that forbids the use of virtual money to purchase goods; this last law was specifically designed to target gaming sites like online casinos.

The United States is far from taken any steps on the same level as Chinese censorship, but it must be remembered how only a few interferences can be of great detriment to tool that generates more good than it does harm.