I am writing this as a prediction but I hope, I really hope I am wrong about this. So call this a warning, a premonition or just me being digitally paranoid.

I fear that 2011 could be the year when we see more and more digital content being controlled, although it may be spun to us in the guise of the redistribution of the free.

So where is this fear coming from Darren, I hear you ask. Well, it has been there for a while. Governments around the world have been trying to filter what we can and can’t access for a while now. This has generally been the more ‘closed’ governments but the signs of more widespread filtering are now coming to light.

This year has seen both government and big business make their voice heard. The Pirate Bay and Wikileaks are just two sites that have been on the receiving end of retribution. And as business and government continue to exert pressure on service providers there is a danger that more and more content will be filtered.

My predictive example is that service, or platform, providers will offer a range of accepted sites and content in their package. All the content that they think is okay for you and me will be given for free. But try and step outside of what they approve (or what they’ve been allowed to approve) and you’ll either be paying more or you’ll find your access denied.

Both the technology and the will, in the form of government and business, exists. It may come down to you and me refusing to accept the packages offered by the main players and seeking out those who still embrace the freedom of the web.

The Internet, is there an app for that? There may not be!