Web Hosting Companies Censor Websites
Once in a while, web hosting providers stir up controversy in the industry. Recently, there has been debate over Anti-Gay extremists and their freedom of speech. As a result, some web hosting providers such as BlueHost has made the decision to ban these websites hosted on their servers. BlueHost is one of the leading providers, making themselves well-known by removing Anti-Gay websites from their hosting.
ChristChurchQuake.net
The most controversial site on BlueHost’s servers is ChristChurchQuake.net which published that the earthquakes that devastated New Zealand in February 2011 were a result of a vengeful God, punishing humans for the lifestyles of many in the region. This is a clear target toward homosexuals living the Christchurch area.
Faith-based Web Hosting Providers
However, BlueHost is not the only provider to make such choices. A number of faith-based Christian hosting providers are beginning to take a stand against hate speech. Therefore, this presents a valid question: Does free speech remain in the web hosting world? According to these providers, no some censorship is necessary.
Freedom of Speech
The fact is the freedom of speech and the web hosting providers within the borders are enforced by the United States. However, web hosts have the freedom to deny service to anyone, at any time for any reason. Therefore, the beliefs and values are another factor to consider when selecting a web hosting provider. For instance, religious hosts are likely to boast stricter guidelines for the content hosted on their servers.
On the other hand, providers like GoDaddy host a larger spectrum of clients and content. Although the company does not condone hate speech, they continue to host websites with free speech that may be considered unsuitable to other providers.
Consider your Content
If considering a religious provider, the content that will be published on your website should be reviewed prior to paying money and incurring downtime due to a violation of terms and conditions. If the host does not feel comfortable hosting your site with specific outlined content, then you must look to other providers.
With the number of websites increasing on the Internet each day, it is difficult to sift through those that are questionable, unethical or might compromise the standards set by the web hosting company. As the Internet continues to expand, this is going to be even more difficult. Therefore, these companies have set the standard and taken a stance not allowing hate speech on their servers. In the future, hopefully webmasters will consider their content prior to posting on specific servers.