I am very intrigued by the topic of censorship and how it can vary so greatly in different countries and cultures. What internet censorship essentially is involves the limited or denied access to information on the web. One major example of censorship that I have learned about and experienced first-hand is that exercised by the Chinese government. During my study abroad this past spring, I realized that I was unable to visit certain news sites because of the controversial content posted. My visit was during the anniversary of Tiananmen Square, and I soon learned that discussion of this event was highly discouraged and that the American students in my group should not expect to hear much of anything about it from the Chinese students we were studying with.
Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter are very useful tools for spreading information and ideas at an incredibly fast pace. Individuals are able to share ideas, have discussions and debates, and view thought-provoking information posted by others instantly. This is not looked upon in a positive light by governments who seek to control this flow of information and therefore the beliefs and ideals of its people. The Chinese students we studied with invited us to join a sort of instant messenger application similar to AIM called QQ as this would be a way to keep in touch even after we had returned to the states. In turn, we introduced the students to Facebook and they set up their own accounts. Shortly after, we were no longer hearing from them via Facebook and eventually learned that it had been blocked. After doing some research, I discovered that China is rated as an “Internet black hole”, in other words, one of the most heavily censored nations.
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