Internet censorship

The degree of Internet censorship varies between countries. Democracies typically have moderate censorship, allowing citizens to access information and participate in public debates, albeit with some justified restrictions. In contrast, totalitarian regimes impose severe limitations on Internet access to control the narrative and suppress dissent. They use censorship as a tool to restrict communication and prevent debates on political and social issues, especially during critical events such as elections or protests.

Internet censorship is censorship of the internet. This may include websites censoring information, or entire websites being censored. Google is known for changing its search results to censor information.

As more people in more places begin using the Internet for important activities, there is an increase in online censorship, using increasingly sophisticated techniques. The motives, scope, and effectiveness of Internet censorship vary widely from country to country. The countries engaged in state-mandated filtering are clustered in three main regions of the world: east Asia, central Asia, and the MENA: Middle East & North Africa.

Internet censorship and surveillance by country (2018)

  Pervasive: Large and broad

  Substantial: Medium

  Selective: Small and specific

  Little or no

  Not classified / no data

Related pages

• Censorship by Google