'Freedom of speech' is a fundamental right of citizens of the United States. The constitution grants complete freedom of speech under the First Amendment which states: .

             Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. .

             Americans thus enjoy comparatively more freedom of expression and speech than people in the developing countries. It would be wrong to assume that freedom of speech is absolute even in the US but in our country, we have the privilege to challenge any unjust arrest, ban or suspension if it is found to violate our rights of free speech. However this is certainly not the case in developing countries such as China where freedom of speech is regularly curbed and restricted by the government. One interesting though sad example of this is the lack of freedom to express one's self on the Internet. Internet is not governed by any single body. It is a free domain that every person can access and use it for whatever purposes he likes, even if they are contrary to the beliefs and values held by the government of his country. However China doesn't subscribe to this view. In this country, it appears that all online activities are highly moderated and monitored since in the last few years, many arrests have been made in cases where users said something against the government of the time. There are firewalls, shield and various gateway guards that monitor and filter all political communication on the Internet thus curbing free speech to a large extent. Taipei Times (2005) reports: .

             "The principle underlying the Golden Shield is that "as virtue rises one foot, vice rises ten." Aided by systems developed by Western intelligence agencies, China has forged a virtual sword that threatens to block the path to democracy.