History of Atlantek Broadband is a tale of freedom and striving for excellence in delivery. Our team has built a company that not only provides the products like computers, laptops and tablets but also fibre broadband packages and knowledge from our technicians. All equipment supplied gives a full freedom to the user and there are no restrictions coming from Atlantek however everyone that has used the internet is aware that blocking information – censorship is a very real concept. It happens all the time and in many cases is unvisible.
What is Internet censorship?
What is censorship? Simply put, it is the control and restriction of information. We usually associate censorship with the state banning the publication of facts that are unpalatable to those in power.
Nowadays not only the governments but also the leaders of the biggest tech platforms, such as Google, Facebook and Twitter, are increasingly accused of censorship.
Censorship in the media is a well-known phenomenon. Restrictions on freedom of expression and belief have reached a new level with digitalisation. Censorship on the Internet has made inroads. Not just politically, and not just in China. Censorship on the private internet is as important as censorship of social media posts.
According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
However, a fine statement often remains an empty slogan. The Internet should be a place where everyone can freely express their thoughts and beliefs. However, this has not happened. There is widespread censorship on the Internet. Technological developments, such as artificial intelligence, are contributing to increasingly effective content blocking.
What is web censorship? There is state censorship on the internet:
Technical restrictions on internet access (blocking access to all or certain websites),
Sanctioning the use of services or websites or the distribution of certain content,
Imposing barriers (e.g. legal or financial) that prevent access to a website,
Illegal activities, such as hacking into the website and/or deleting content.
The state can censor information proactively (before publication) or ex post (e.g. by penalising those who publish news critical of the authorities on the Internet). In practice, Internet censorship has many faces. For example, it is usually used in the name of a higher good:
protecting the vulnerable (e.g. children from violent images or videos),
protecting victims of crime or tragedy (e.g. preventing the publication of images of victims of crime or tragedy).
ensuring the security of the state or political system (e.g. censorship introduced by the Chinese Communist Party).
respecting the rules set by the owners of the main social networks – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (e.g. blocking the account of US President Donald Trump).
Some of the most censored material on the internet include:
Violence – e.g. images and videos of wars and riots,
pornography – e.g. posting erotic images/videos on YouTube,
Fake news – any content containing lies and distorted news,
hate speech – e.g. racist messages and content on social media
material critical of the actions of the authorities – e.g. images of Russian military bombardments of Ukrainian cities.
Which countries censor the internet? Government censorship of the Internet
In non-democratic and repressive countries, access to content published on the internet is usually blocked.
The authorities in these countries use traditional methods (such as intimidation of journalists), but are also prepared to implement digital censorship.
Internet censorship in Russia
Russia, under the steady hand of Vladimir Putin, is ranked 150th (out of 180 countries) in the 2021 World Press Freedom Index, which includes internet censorship, including strict regulation, blocking websites, shutting down news sites critical of the government, and blocking the work of independent journalists and harassing bloggers.
In 2021, Putin’s officials tried to shut down Twitter, which refused to censor messages. Before that, they tried to block access to YouTube. The site, which tracks arrests in Russia during anti-Putin protests, disappeared from the internet.
The Russian authorities want to create a so-called ‘sovereign internet’. In practice, this is a place where there is no room for criticism of the authorities’ actions. The consistent censorship of the Internet has paid off. Information about Russia’s violent and brutal invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has barely appeared on Russian websites.
The dangers of internet censorship
What are the consequences of blocking online content, harassing publishers or pressuring Internet Service Providers to block resources? The list of consequences includes the following:
Users do not have access to all information,
misleading them about political and economic events,
Violation of democratic principles (voters cannot vote credibly without complete information),
manipulation of public opinion by those in power.
Constantly applied state censorship leads to a distorted view of the citizens’ world. Many of them see censorship as something undeniably positive. For example, 26% of Russians consider media censorship to be necessary.
