Women and children self-sensor most under surveillance

A forthcoming report: Internet Surveillance, Regulation, and Chilling Effects Online: A Comparative Case Study by Jonathon W. Penney concludes that ‘Women and young people are more likely to self-censor if they think they’re being monitored‘. In a world where the US Director of National Intelligence admits that even the US National Security Agency would be unable to determine the number of targets of warrantless surveillance, it is important to analyse how this monitoring affects Internet users. The paper also suggests that the same users who are most likely to self-censor, are those who are unlikely to take steps to defend themselves.