Censorship
WMD Assesses Internet Censorship Around the World:
The Internet and advances in technology have revolutionized global inter-connectivity and broken down barriers of communication across borders. Today, nearly 2.5 billion people around the world have access to the Internet, a number that has than doubled in the past five years.
But 2.1 billion live under direct Internet censorship.
Using data collected from Freedom House, Reporters Without Borders, and the Open Net Initiative, WMD has compiled the most comprehensive and complete list of the world population living under direct Internet censorship.
Why the Issue of Government Internet Censorship?
From the 2009 Iranian uprising to the movements that swept the Arab world in 2011, the critical need for free flows of communication and access to information have become strikingly clear. Citizens around the world have lifted the veil of censorship by finding innovative ways to circumvent government repression of the Internet and communications. Freedom of the Internet is key in advancing civil society and empowering netizens around the world.
More than ever before, access to information must be viewed as a fundamental human right, and governments and entities that block and censor information must not only be exposed, but we must pave the way for tangible and salient solutions. Advocacy and awareness in this arena has yet to be centralized in one campaign.
Government censorship of ideas, speech, media, Internet access, and the free flow of information is an all-encompassing phenomenon that limits progress and stunts expression throughout the world. It’s becoming increasingly clear that government efforts in both democracies and authoritarian countries have been aimed at censoring web sites, silencing bloggers, filtering content, and curtailing negative information.
WMD is an international campaign that will use art as a medium to promote advocacy and awareness about government Internet censorship. This endemic global issue affects millions, and our focus on Internet censorship will also expose other forms of repressive censorship including satellite and telecommunications jamming, limits on speech and expression, and closed media environments.
Why the Issue of Government Internet Censorship?
Organizations Championing Internet Freedom and Fighting Censorship
There are a number of advocacy groups and stakeholders that fight against government Internet censorship everyday.
Freedom on the Net 2011 Report
“A Global Assessment of Internet and Digital Media Freedom
In order to illuminate the emerging threats to internet freedom and identify areas of opportunity, Freedom House created a unique methodology to assess the full range of elements that comprise digital media freedom. This report examines internet freedom in 37 countries around the globe. The study’s findings indicate that the threats to internet freedom are growing and have become more diverse. Cyber attacks, politically-motivated censorship, and government control over internet infrastructure have emerged as especially prominent threats.”