Category Archives: Censorship

Earlier this week, conservative media watchdog Media Research Center published a post about right-wing radio host Mark Levins latest book and their claim that the establishment media is ignoring Levin despite the book being a runaway best-seller.

To make their case, they pointed to the manner in which Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) was treated when his last book was released, claiming that nobody called up Levin for an interview, effectively censoring him:

They will allow a discussion of public policy as long as it matches their worldview. Think Sen. Al Franken. He is no Mark Levin intellectually, but thats irrelevant. His book came out a few weeks ago and he was the progressives toast of the town, celebrated all over the news shows, public TV and radio, and the late-night comedy shows. The Washington Post and New York Times rolled out 1,300-word rave reviews.

But once again, Levin is being shunned by the thought police. Witness that though its a runaway best-seller, now seven days consecutively, the establishment media have censored him completely, with not a single interview granted.

Aside from the fact that Levin has made several appearances on Fox News over the past two weeks, including spots on Watters World and Fox & Friends over the weekend apparently the MRC doesnt count the highest-rated cable news network as part of the establishment it appears theres one media personality who is disputing the conservative watchdogs take.

In his newsletter last night, CNN senior media correspondent Brian Stelter pointed out that he saw the MRCs claims of censorship as an opening to get Levin to finally appear on his show Reliable Sources. According to Stelter, however, Levin wanted nothing to do with CNN or his program. Stelter wrote:

I saw this as an opportunity to re-up our months-old requests for Levin to come on Reliable Sources. Surely, since MRC says hes been censored, hed jump at any chance at a non-Fox interview? But when I emailed him the offer on Thursday, he replied, Are you kidding me? Buddy, Ive zero respect for CNN or you. Youre a propagandist.

So, is it really censorship when one man, who already has access to a large platform, refuses to appear on certain outlets because he feels they are propaganda? Doesnt seem like it.

[image via screengrab]

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Brian Stelter Rebuffs MRC 'Censorship' Claim By Revealing Mark ... - Mediaite

Those who spread fake news through the social media are also liable under the proposed bill. Flickr photo by Stanley Cabigas (CC BY 2.0)

Philippine Senator Joel Villanueva filed a billin late June that would criminalize the malicious distribution of false news. Media groups are warning it could lead to censorship.

Villanuevas Senate Bill No. 1492 or An Act Penalizing the Malicious Distribution of False News and Other Related Violations defines fake news as those which either intend to cause panic, division, chaos, violence, and hate, or those which exhibit a propaganda to blacken or discredit one's reputation.

The billassigns penalties to those who publish fake news and even to those who share it, potentially criminalizing social media users who may not fully understand the implications of simply sharing an articlewith friends.

Prison sentencing under the proposed law depends on the status of the entity who publishes or spreads the so-called fake news. A private individual found guilty of publishing or spreading fake news can face a prison term of up to five years. Agovernment official's sentence would be double that of a private individual. And a media entity or social media platform spreading fake news could be detained for up to 20 years.

Villanueva explained the rationalebehind these penalties:

The effect of fake news should not be taken lightly. Fake news creates impression and beliefs based on false premises leading to division, misunderstanding and further exacerbating otherwise strenuous relations.

He added that the passage of the bill will encourage our citizens, especially public officers, to be more responsible and circumspect in creating, distributing and/or sharing news.

Journalism Professor Danilo Arao reviewed the four-page bill and summarized his objections:

Definition of false news or information under Sec. 2 is so broad that it includes practically anything perceived to cause, among others, panic and hate (obviously hard to define)

Media organizations could be subjected to censorship under Sec. 3 of the proposed law because even fair commentary or investigative reports that are perceived to tarnish the reputation of a public official could be flagged as false news.

Arao further disputed theneed for a special law mentioning public officials, reasoning that they are already assumed to be following a code of conduct.

In a TV interview, a spokesperson fromthe Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility said the proposed legislation is unnecessary because Philippine libel law already addresses the issues raised by the senator.

A member of the House of Representatives proposed that instead of criminalizing fake news, the congress should work to approve a pending Freedom of Information bill that he says would helpcounter the irresponsible sharing of false information on media and the Internet.

AlterMidya, a network of independent media groups, denounced Villanuevas bill as irresponsible, unnecessary and dangerous attempt to impose a form of censorship on free expression and press freedom.

How does one distinguish between a false report based on an honest mistake and one maliciously spread through print, broadcasting and online?

It would endow the bureaucracy with the arbitrary power to declare any media issuance contrary to government interests as fake news, while approving, loudly or otherwise, even the most fraudulent report from either private or State media so long as it favors whatever regime is in power.

Veteran journalist Luis Teodoro reminded the senator that there are better ways to fight fake news:

Accountability in the exercise of the right to communicate is best enforced, not by the State, but by the media community itself as well as by a public media-literate and responsible enough to detect and not to spread fake news.

Philippine Star newspaper columnist Jarius Bondoc warned that if the bill becomeslaw, it could be abused by authorities who want to silence critics:

The bill is prone to abuse. A bigot administration can apply it to suppress the opposition. By prosecuting critics as news fakers, the government can stifle legitimate dissent. Whistleblowers, not the grafters, would be imprisoned and fined for daring to talk. Investigative journalists would cram the jails.

This is not the first time that a Philippine legislator has filed a bill that seeks to address the negative impact of fake news. Early this year, the Speaker of the House of Representatives proposedregulatingsocial media to prevent the spread of fake accounts and fake information.

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Philippine Senator Moves to Criminalize 'Fake News' Could This ... - Global Voices Online

July, more than most other months, is loaded with politically sensitive anniversaries that keep Communist Party of China (CPC) censors and security forces on their toes.

First comes the July 1 anniversary of Hong Kongs transfer from British to Chinese rule. Then there is July 5, marking the 2009 ethnic violence in the Xinjiang region that sparked an unprecedented crackdown on its mostly Muslim Uyghur population. The very next day, July 6, is the Dalai Lamas birthday, andJuly 9is the second anniversary of a sweeping repressive action against Chinas human rights lawyers.Finally there isJuly 20, the date in 1999 when the CPC banned the popular spiritual practice Falun Gong and began a massive and often violent campaign to eradicate it.

This year, the anniversaries overlap with other news stories that Beijing likely wants to quash, including an international uproar surrounding democracy activistLiu Xiaobos belated release on medical parole with terminal cancer, and a campaign by exiled tycoonGuo Wenguito publicize corruption allegations involving top Chinese leaders.

It is not surprising in these circumstances that the CPC hastightened information controls. But the party has not simply intensified its efforts in the short term. It has also gradually adapted its methods to a changing technological environment, one in which mobile phones, social media applications, and digital surveillance are critical features.

The result is a new level of intrusiveness and sophistication, as well as danger for populations that are already at risk of severe human rights violations.

Cutting off Access to Circumvention Tools

One of the escalating restrictions that may have the widest reach is a crackdown on virtual private networks (VPNs), which allow users to bypass official censorship. Several VPN applications have beendisabledor removed fromonline storessince July 1. In a June 22 message to customers,prominent VPN provider Greensaid that after receiving a notice from the higher authorities, it planned to cease operations on July 1, causing a ripple of conversations on social media about what circumvention tools could still be used. The latest initiative builds onincreasing official effortsto stop the dissemination of such tools, including some that the authorities had long tolerated.

The applications removal will have the secondary effect of cutting off software updates for users, leaving their devices more vulnerable to hacking. And while many use VPNs to access uncensored news or blocked social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, the tools are also used for security purposes, to protect businesses and activists from pervasive state surveillance.

Inspecting the Personal Communications of Minorities

Other recent controls have focused on ethnic and religious minorities. In Xinjiang, authorities in a district of the regional capitalUrumqiissued a notice on June 27 instructing all residents and business owners to submit their personal ID cards, cell phones, external drives, portable hard drives, notebook computers, and media storage cards to the local police post for registration and scanning byAugust 1. One district employee toldRadio Free Asiathat the campaign was taking place throughout the city. The goal is ostensibly to identify and purge any terrorist videos, but the action violates the privacy rights of Urumqis three million residents and exposes them to punishment for a host of other possible offenses, including those related to peaceful religious or political expression.

In Tibet, the instant-messaging application WeChat has become increasingly popular in recent years, as it has across China. But using it to communicate about the Dalai Lama or his birthday is difficult and dangerous. A test conducted in January by the Canada-based Citizen Lab found that the Tibetan spelling for Dalai Lama was automatically deleted in WeChat messages. Meanwhile, at leasttwo Tibetansare known to have been jailed for participating in a WeChat group commemorating the spiritual leaders 80th birthday in 2015. After a new spate of self-immolation protests took place in early 2017, Tibetans in Sichuan Province report that police aremonitoring communicationon the platform more closely and detaining those suspected of sharing information about self-immolations with overseas contacts.

New Tactics and New Targets

These developments reflect a broader trend identified in a recentFreedom House reporton religion in China. The study found that Chinese government tactics of religious control and persecution have been changing to incorporate new technologies and match the evolving communication habits of the public. Even in the absence of sensitive anniversaries, various modes of electronic surveillance have expanded dramatically at sites of worship and public spaces frequented by religious believers.

The CPCs information controls also appear to be spreading to traditionally less persecuted groups, like state-sanctioned churches and non-Uyghur residents of Xinjiang. Since March, authorities inZhejianghave reportedly been implementing a campaign to installsurveillance cameras in churches and possibly Buddhist temples, in some cases sparking altercations with police and violence against congregants. In Urumqi, the order to turn in digital devices forinspectionapplies to ethnic Han and Kazakh residents as well as Uyghurs, while localKazakhshave reported increased monitoring and some prosecutions related to expressions of their Muslim faith in recent months.

The Information Arms Race

The Chinese governments actions are partly a response to creative initiatives by minority activists to share their stories and perspectives in a heavily restrictive information environment.

It is a nonstop game of cat-and-mouse, journalist Nithin Coca wrote in a June 27articleabout Chinas high-tech war on Tibetan communication. As the Tibet movements digital-security abilities and training improve, the Chinese government implements more sophisticated hacking techniques.

Similarly, asFalun Gongpractitioners devise new means of disseminating information to debunk vilifying state propaganda and expose abuses they have suffered, security forces have adapted by increasing electronic surveillance and deploying geolocation technology to find and arrest them. Local authorities in places likeJiangsu provincehave also upgraded anti-Falun Gong propaganda efforts, deploying LED rolling screens, cartoons, microblogs, and QQ messaging including in schools last month to demonize Falun Gong and other banned religious groups.

A Vicious Circle

The result of the escalating controls is that there are even fewer avenues for persecuted groups and individuals to defend themselves, offer alternatives to the party line, or expose violence committed by officials. Meanwhile, other Chinese interested in knowing more about these and other censored topics find it increasingly difficult and risky to obtain information.

There is also a cost to the CPC. Such aggressive stability maintenance methods ultimately increase tensions with key populations, intensify resentment of the partys heavy-handed rule, and inspire anti-government activism and even violence, including among otherwise apolitical citizens.

From that perspective, while the CPCs efforts may successfully silence some critics this year, party leaders may face an even more daunting challenge next July.

Sarah Cook is a senior research analyst for East Asia at Freedom House, director of itsChina Media Bulletin,and author ofThe Battle for Chinas Spirit: Religious Revival, Repression, and Resistance under Xi Jinping.

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China's Newest Censorship Methods on Display - The Diplomat

Media Matters for America

How anti-choice zealots cry censorship whenever they are challenged Media Matters for America Most recently, Lila Rose, founder of the anti-abortion group Live Action, appeared on the June 26 edition of Tucker Carlson Tonight and claimed that Twitter was censoring Live Action's ads. Beyond alleging that Twitter was biased against the anti ...

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How anti-choice zealots cry censorship whenever they are challenged - Media Matters for America

Nosy Floridians now have another outlet for their moral outrage. Now anybody in the US state can formally complain about books used in public schools, and schools are required to hear them out.

Last week governor Rick Scott signed a bill that allows any Florida resident to formally challenge new or old materials, like books and movies, available in public schools. In drafting the bill, lawmakers specifically added language that expanded the complaint process to include anyone, not just parents.

Original law:

Each district school board must adopt a policy regarding a parents objection to his or her childs use of a specific instructional material, which clearly describes a process to handle all objections and provides for resolution.

New law, with new language highlighted:

Each district school board must adopt a policy regarding an a parents objection by a parent or a resident of the county to the his or her childs use of a specific instructional material, which clearly describes a process to handle all objections and provides for resolution.

The law also lays out specific guidelines on how schools should field complaints to materials used in class, included in school libraries, and placed on reading lists. Previously the law said that when schools wanted to add new materials, parents had to file a petition within 30 days of the introduction, and that schools had to list the petition on their site and hold a public forum about it. The new version of the law adds that the petition can be filed by anyone, not just a parent; that forums will be overseen by a formal hearing officer, who cant be an employee of the school district; and that schools now have 30 days to hold the forums, instead of seven.

It adds three reasons that material can be challenged:

The purported goal of the bill is to create more transparency around what Florida kids are learning in school. But it effectively institutionalizes censorship, with broad criteria like not suited to student needs. Critics fear that the new legislation constitutes a big step toward the suppression of information on evolution and climate change. And it can be used as a formal process to keep out classics and new works that Floridians think are inappropriate.

According to the office for intellectual freedom (OIF), a part of the American Library Association, the added red-tape will ultimately be used to pressure individual teachers into sticking with safe choices. The goal of this bill is to tie up educators with so much process and challenge and review that they give up on trying to teach contemporary authors on difficult subjects, says OIF director James LaRue, And to intimidate anyone who crosses a political line.

He adds, This is not about education; its about politics.

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Censorship: A new law in Florida lets any resident try to ban books ... - Quartz

Courtesy: Cairokee

Egyptian band Cairokee has announced that four songs from its upcoming album have not been approved by Egypts Censorship Board. In a Sunday statement on its Facebook page, the band wrote that the album will not be commercially released in its full form given the boards decision.

The censored songs include lyrics about everyday life, our problems as young people, social media and what we see on TV our usual topics, said 33-year old frontman and songwriter Amir Eid, who doesnt think any of the content is particularly controversial. If anything, I feel, as a songwriter, that I didnt say everything I wanted to say.

It is a standard practice for the Censorship Board to review songs before commercial release, but Cairokee, whose rise to fame came as a result of their politically-inspired music, has not had songs blocked before.

Set for release on July 11, Nota Beida (A Drop of White) will be the five-member bands seventh album, following 2015s Nas W Nas. The title track was released as a single in May and has been viewed over 880,000 times on YouTube.

On Wednesday, days after a sold-out show on July 1 as part of Londons Shubbak Festival that featured teasers from the new album, Eid told a maa Masr that the band was not given an official reason for the Censorship Boards decision.

We dont know the real reason, he said. Its possible the album wont be released commercially at all. He added that the matter is currently being handled by the bands lawyers.

While the Censorship Board has objected to the use of certain words in the past, in this case they objected to the release of entire songs, Eid said.

One of the songs that was not approved by the board, which is titled Al-Keif (The High), tackles youth drug use. Ironically, Eid says, the band was contacted by the Social Solidarity Ministrys drug use prevention and treatment program, which asked if it could use the song in an upcoming media campaign.

We will continue with our initial plan and release the full album online, said Eid, cautioning that he did not want to overstate the issue. We have our own parallel world in which we operate. Our fans are all online, and thats that.

The good news is that well keep going, and our music will remain free, read the the bands Facebook statement. It will be available on the internet and on digital stores, with visuals for each song.

Although formed in 2009, Cairokee became widely known during the 2011 revolution, after it recorded the song Sout al-Horreya (The Voice of Freedom), which some protesters took up as an anthem. The song was subsequently picked up by radio stations and TV channels.

The band has since collaborated with prominent figures in the regions music industry, including Algerian singer Souad Massi and late Egyptian poet Ahmed Fouad Negm.

Its latest album includes a collaboration with vocalist Abel Rahman Rushdy, who is known for his sufi style of singing.

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Censorship Board bans songs from Cairokee's new album - Mada Masr

BBC News

Algerian university accused of censorship BBC News Leila Sidhoum has accused the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Algiers 3 of censorship and intimidation. She said she had already successfully defended her work before a board. Ms Sidhoum, who is also an assistant professor at the ... and more »

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Algerian university accused of censorship - BBC News

Japanese games developer discusses his own experience of being asked to remove 'boob slider' which made female characters' breasts get bigger

A JAPANESE game developer has spoken out to provide a rare insight into Nintendos alleged censorship of games deemed too raunchy or shocking for Western audiences.

Nintendo is famed for producing child-friendly video games, whilst publishers in Britain and the US focus on big, bloody affairs like Fallout and DOOM.

But some of the games it originally releases into the the Japanesemarket are very different from the ones which see the light of day in North America and the rest of the world.

Nintendo follows a strategy of localisation in which parts of games are re-written to make more sense to players outside of Japan.

Gamers are worried that this process could allow progressive and censorious social justice warriors (the name for a very vocal group of censorious activists) to dictate a games story and character designs, overriding its original creators intentions.

NowTetsuya Takahashi, CEO of the Japanese developer Monolith Soft, has revealed his own experience with Nintendos shadowy localisation division.

He was the executive director of Xenoblade Chronicles X, which originally featured a shocking depiction of a 13-year-old character Lin Lee wearing a bikini as well as a ridiculous boob slider that allowed players to choose the size of their characters breasts.

Both were removed from the game which was released in North America.

As a developer, I do feel like itd be ideal to be able to adjust the content so that its culturally acceptable, whether its in the US or in the EU, he told Kotaku.

For example, there was a discussion about the breast slider.

Jokingly, I said: well, would it help if we had a crotch slider for the male? Obviously it was a joke, but they responded obviously its not gonna work out. I do realise theres a cultural difference between what Japanese people think and what the rest of the world thinks.

In recent years, several of Nintendos products have come under heavy criticism from the gaming community for being badly localised for American audiences.

This process is led by a wing of Nintendo called Treehouse,which is alleged to have been involved in the censorship of popular video games like Fire Emblem: Fates, which saw significant chunks of the game alteredand in some casesremoved.

A petting minigame, where players could spend personal time with characters as they tap the screen with the stylus, was removed. But the romantic dialogue remained intact.

Another change involved the removal of a controversial scene social justice warriors claimed was support for gay conversion therapy.

It was intended as a lighthearted moment where a man-hating character perceives everyone around her as female after consuming a magic powder.

To nip potential controversies in the bud, Nintendo devised a new strategy to have its staff form professional relationships with Japanese developers to tell them how best to make their games and inform them of any content with cultural relevance.

Also speaking to Kotaku, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said that the creators are always involved during localisation in this new strategy and explained how the process worked.

He said: In terms of what gets localised, theres a simple collection of words that we use to define how we think about this: its cultural relevance and understanding of the ratings and ratings implications.

Fils-Aime provided adding a few years onto a characters listed age as an example of such a change to avoid a mature rating, but didnt list any games in particular.

The significance of Nintendo of Americas localizers participating during development cant be overstated.

Gamers fear it means that progressive and censorious social justice warriors can now dictate a games story and character designs, overriding its original creators intentions.

Critics fear the rise of political correctness in the United States and especially among video game industry professionals mean such a collaboration will only lead to further censorship of Nintendos games.

And this time, gamers may not even know about it.

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us attips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368

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Frontier Myanmar

As online defamation cases grow, cartoonists face self-censorship and rejection Frontier Myanmar Cartoonists, who have long played an important role in Myanmar's society, say that an infamous defamation law is curbing their ability to do their job. By EI CHERRY AUNG | MYANMAR NOW. TERRORISM, armed conflict, drug trafficking and child soldiers.

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As online defamation cases grow, cartoonists face self-censorship and rejection - Frontier Myanmar

All Photos Courtesy Ryan Estrada

The Russian-owned blog community LiveJournal previously banned political solicitation, part of a decade-long effort to censor Russians who were using the platform to criticize the government. Now, LiveJournals former comic artist has returned from an eight-year absence... bringing back LiveJournals Frank the Goat one more time to protest the sites abuses from the inside.

Back in 2006, indie comic artist (and LiveJournal user) Ryan Estrada really wanted to make a series about Frank the Goat, LiveJournals longstanding mascot. So, he worked out a deal with the sites owners: Hed make a commissioned comic about the goat with full creative control over the character and story, and in exchange they wouldnt have to pay him for it. For three years, Estrada charmed LiveJournal fans with a variety of stories about Frank and his friends.

It was a weird experimental series, where each chapter was a different genre. I did a musical, a rom-com, a murder mystery, a kids book, a horror story and others, Estrada told me. It was a fun way to try new things with a character that had a built-in fanbase.

This was right around when the Russian government was really starting to take interest in the site, as it had grown in popularity among journalists and citizens who were trying to circumvent Putins censorship of the media. One year later, everything came to a head. A Russian business bought LiveJournal and began the process of moving it over to Russian servers... meaning everybody who used the service (Americans like George R.R. Martin included) were subject to Russian censorship laws. Estrada ended the comic in 2009.

LiveJournal, a blog community thats hosted a lot of science fiction authors and fans (including

Estrada recently learned about just how bad Russian control of the site has gotten, primarily from a recent episode of the Reply All podcast. He told me he was appalled to learn how the Russian government was actively censoring anti-government and pro-LGBTQ content, which reportedly included a governor hiring thugs to assault a Russian who was using LiveJournal to spread his message, breaking his fingers so he couldnt type.

They were doing all this under the flag of a mascot that I may not have created, but that I had given personality to, Estrada said. The Frank the Goat I know didnt stand for that. I didnt want an outdated comic praising the company under my name to be this sad time capsule that might lead people to believe I support any of it.

When Estrada realized he still had administrative access to his Frank the Goat LiveJournal account, and the contract was never technically canceled, he decided to use his platform to create one final Frank the Goat comic. One that speaks out against what hate and fear turned a beloved site into.

As of now, the comic is still up on LiveJournal. It technically violates the sites rules against political solicitation, particularly involving LGBTQ representation but, since Estrada lives in South Korea, he wouldnt face actual prosecution for it. However, he can be kicked off LiveJournal for posting the comic, and the Frank the Goat account can be shut down. In the meantime, it serves as an homage to a community that was once treasured by scifi fans, and later used as a tool to fight for freedom.

If something isnt right, you should speak up. Use what little scrap of power and privilege you have to raise your voice, even if it is super dumb and involves drawing pictures of goats singing and kissing sheep, Estrada said.

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LiveJournal's Goat Mascot Is Back to Protest the Site's Russian Censorship - Gizmodo