The emergence of the Internet has been both a boon and a bane to modern society. Never in the history of the world has there been such an accessible source of information available to virtually everyone with the minimal means necessary to use it. Suddenly, in our homes, we can gather information that until just a few years ago would have required a trip to a local library or, at times, a trip out of the country. There is a staggering amount of information at our fingertips. Of course, with the development of many new technologies come those who quickly figure out how to use it for illegal and other nefarious activity. The arrests of website supervisors with alleged ties to terrorist organizations by the Ministry of Interior serves to press that point home. Freedom has its limits, the authorities are telling us, and those who abuse those limits will face the consequences. The primary issue here is whether the government surveillance of deviant websites is an infringement on freedom of expression, and it is difficult to argue that it is not. Of course, it is. But every society, even the US where the much-vaunted First Amendment protects almost all speech and personal expression from government infringement, places limits on that freedom. In Saudi Arabia, which is in the midst of a long struggle to protect itself from deviant thought that too often manifests itself in planned terrorist activities, the rights of Takfiri and other extremist sites deserve to be curtailed and their administrators investigated. This is not about freedom of expression but about placing impediments in front of those who seek to take advantage of the ignorance of others and goad them into committing vile crimes. Likewise, pornography, drugs and gambling have been forbidden in the Kingdom and it only makes sense that websites promoting such activities fall under restrictions imposed by the government. Certainly, there is room for a robust debate on the finer points of intervention in the freedom of expression and its manifestation on the Internet. The Internet is a very powerful and liberating tool and has many great uses. There is a line to be drawn, however. __
