Some believe that social networking sites should be monitored by the government as it would protect our fellow children and perhaps another generation. For some time the news has been reporting that some children have been victims of bullying on these sites, which has led them to commit suicide. Was the invention of social networking sites good or bad? Not all children use social networking sites to create chaos or destroy other people's lives, and many agree that they have a positive effect. There are many people who do not agree with the government's control of social networking sites. They believe it because the public considers it an invasion of privacy. Freedom has been a problem for centuries. Is it right for the government to know all our private information? As technology has developed and become essential to our society, many government commissioners fear social media and their authority and power in our society: but does this give them the authority to monitor online content? This means that the government would have access to personal and confidential information that the public views on the Internet. Tom Baker, a Liberal Democrat MP, said social networking sites responded that social networking sites contain exclusive and hypersensitive details about their users and Mr Baker was concerned that the data could be exposed from any database controlled by the government. Another newspaper, The Independent, quoted him as saying that the related strategy for keeping phone and email files threatens to be "the most expensive snooper's card in history." “It is deeply concerning that they now intend to monitor social networking sites which contain very sensitive data such as sexual orientation, religious beliefs and political opinions,” Mr Bake said… at the heart of the document… as people they should have their privacy when surfing the internet. Alternatively, evidence suggests that government can help counter terrorism and stop bullying. After carefully examining the matter, surely society couldn't argue that we should protect our country and our children by monitoring social networking sites? Works cited http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/aug/09/cyberbullying-mother-fight -askfm http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/aug/19/ask-fm-cyberbully -hannah-smith-death http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/5046447/Facebook -could-be-monitored-by-the-government.html http://www.theguardian.com/society /2013/aug/08/askfm-advertisers-cameron-boycott-cyberbullying http://www.urbandictionary.com /define.php?term=catfish http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7962631 .stm http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jul/14/privacy-in-social - media age