The degree of Internet censorship varies between countries
Internet censorship is censorship of the internet. In some cases, websites censor certain information. In other cases, governments censor entire websites, so nobody in the country can visit them.
Google is known for changing its search results to censor information. As more people use the Internet, online censorship has worsened, using increasingly sophisticated techniques.
Around the world
The motives, scope, and effectiveness of Internet censorship vary widely from country to country. Most countries with government-ordered censorship are located in east Asia, central Asia, and the MENA: Middle East & North Africa.
Democracies typically have moderate censorship, allowing citizens to access information and participate in public debates, but with some justified restrictions. (For example, a democracy might block websites which show child pornography.)
In contrast, totalitarianregimes severely limit Internet access. They do this for several reasons:
To control the information people get
To prevent people from seeing content that criticizes the government
To restrict communication
To prevent debates on political and social issues (especially during critical events like elections or protests)
↑OpenNet Initiative "Summarized global Internet filtering data spreadsheet", 8 November 2011 and "Country Profiles", the OpenNet Initiative is a collaborative partnership of the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto; the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University; and the SecDev Group, Ottawa
