While Croatia stands as one of the least online censored countries in the world, we still support and celebrate today, March 12, as World Day Against Cyber Censorship Day and embrace the importance of the Internet being available to everyone, everywhere.
Freedom of speech VS. Internet Censorship
IGI Global defines internet censorship as the control or suppression of what can be accessed, published, or viewed on the Internet. And even though there is wide support for certain types of censorship on the Internet, the ones that protect human rights and exploitation, the world is unanimous on one thing – the freedom of speech, even online, should be a human right.
Freedom of speech is the biggest threat to undemocratic governments but the foundation of the Internet. We mostly take our possibility to search, get answers and information for anything we can imagine in seconds while also having no fear of publicly posting our opinions, for granted. Not everyone has the same conditions.
Enemies of the internet: Where do you stand?
Recent findings By the Reporters Without Borders say there are currently 20 countries described as current enemies of the Internet, including UK, USA and Russia for their use of surveillance and restrictions which stop current important information to be shared and help fake and manipulative news reach big audiences. And in times like these, where information is extremely valuable, it’s important to fight online censorship. The Internet should be a safe place for discussions, getting informed and sharing your own reality – in order to be heard and for things to change. It’s important to be aware of where the information comes from and who you can trust and who you can’t. In other words, it’s important to have reliable sources. So, take today to find out more about freedom, where it doesn’t come from, and how you can fight it on your own terms.
