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Depending on where you live, free and open access to the information and entertainment found on the internet might seem like more of a right than a privilege. But for folks who live in some of the world’s more restrictive societies, some or even most of the internet remains tantalizingly out of reach, blocked by government censors and their firewalls.

Reasons for Censorship

The majority of such internet censorship is employed in the name of combating software piracy and other types of illegal file sharing (including torrents and file hosting sites such as New Zealand’s controversial Mega.co.nz). It’s interesting to note, however, that while such traffic is actively condemned by both governments and intellectual property advocates alike, corporations such as Netflix are using torrent activity to help them plan their own (legal) offerings.

Another justification for widespread censorship and monitoring of legal content (including torrents, political and social media, and yes, pornography) is state-enforced morality. Countries engaged in this sort of censorship often claim to be looking out for the welfare of their citizenry, but critics are quick to point out that the countries with the most censorship are often the same ones with a history of aggressively suppressing public protest or political unrest.

If you’re taking a trip around the world and plan on accessing the internet (including basics such as email and social media) while you’re on the road, you may need to review and adjust your itinerary if it includes heavily-censored countries such as Eritrea, China, Somalia, or the famously secretive and regulated North Korea. Torrent users — even those who rely on the embattled tech to share legitimate, legal files — might find themselves out of luck no matter where they go.

How Censorship Might Affect Your Life

It’s not just moral or intellectual outrage that’s driving censorship, of course. With the issue of Net Neutrality dominating news in the tech sector, the specter of another form of censorship — selective or restricted access based on corporate policies, as compared to government intervention — has reared its troubling head.

Regardless of the form, it’s clear that equal and open access to the internet is something no one can afford to take for granted any longer, and that the discussion of how much — if any — of the internet can or should be censored will continue far into the future.

Internet Censorship World Map

The internet, and our freedom to use it as we please, is a contentious issue. Whereas access in some countries can be unrestricted for any materials its government deign legal, in others censorship ranges from governments blocking the dissemination of political opinion, to blacklisting pornographic and social media websites.

No evidence of censorship of legal content ‘Default On’ – content censored unless access requested Limited access with blocks and monitoring on many sites Access with heavy restrictions, censorship, and sanctions No access Country with heavy censorship Country Name

Asia

Country Social Media Pornography Political Media Torrents Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Burma/Myanmar Cambodia China Cyprus Gaza Strip Georgia India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Korea, North Korea, South Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Mongolia Nepal Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Syria Tajikistan Thailand Tunisia Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen

Africa

Country Social Media Pornography Political Media Torrents Algeria Angola Egypt Eritrea Ethiopia Gambia, The Ghana Kenya Libya Malawi Mauritania Morocco Nigeria Rwanda South Africa Sudan Swaziland Uganda

North America

Country Social Media Pornography Political Media Torrents Bahamas, The Canada Cuba Guatemala Mexico United States

South America

Country Social Media Pornography Political Media Torrents Argentina Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Paraguay Peru Venezuela

Europe

Country Social Media Pornography Political Media Torrents Austria Belarus Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Isle of Man Italy Latvia Moldova Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom

Australia

Country Social Media Pornography Political Media Torrents Australia Fiji New Zealand

Most democratic countries have little Internet censorship, mainly to control piracy. However, some countries limit access to information and suppress discussion among citizens, often in anticipation of elections, protests, and riots.

Freedom of the Internet is not a guarantee.

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