How Internet Censorship Works

Summary

The video script discusses internet censorship, revealing it's not limited to authoritarian regimes but occurs globally. It explains how private corporations and ISPs act as gatekeepers, influenced by governments or their own initiatives. Examples include China's self-discipline awards for internet companies and actions by Google, Facebook, Flickr, and Apple. The script emphasizes the importance of transparency and awareness, encouraging reporting censorship to HER.ORG.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The internet is not as free and open as it seems; it's controlled by private corporations.
• 🏢 In China, the government instructs ISPs and content hosts to police the internet and rewards companies that contribute to a 'harmonious' internet.
• 🏆 Companies like Robin Li's Baidu have received 'self-discipline awards' for their role in Chinese internet censorship.
• 🗳️ Censorship isn't limited to authoritarian regimes; it also occurs in Western democracies.
• 🔍 Google has been transparent about government requests to block or remove content, releasing data about these requests.
• 📊 The Open Net Initiative research shows state-sponsored internet censorship in dozens of countries, not just authoritarian ones.
• 📢 ISPs and platforms act as intermediaries, sometimes censoring content due to government pressure or their own initiatives.
• 📸 Facebook and Flickr have been known to remove content, sometimes for violating their own community guidelines or terms of service.
• 🍎 Apple exercises strict control over its App Store, removing apps for various reasons, including public pressure and their own discretion.
• 🚫 Censorship can be dangerous for a healthy society, as it limits information flow and can be influenced by risk-averse corporate policies.
• 🌍 Awareness of global censorship is crucial; if you encounter blocked content, report it to help.org to increase transparency.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the script?

The script discusses the issue of internet censorship and how it is not limited to authoritarian regimes but also occurs in Western democracies. It highlights how private corporations play a significant role in controlling what users can see and say on the internet.

How does the Chinese government approach internet censorship?

The Chinese government actively instructs internet service providers and content hosts to police their services. They even award companies that contribute to a 'harmonious and healthy internet' with 'internet self-discipline awards'.

What is the role of private sector companies in Chinese internet censorship?

In China, private sector companies act as an extension of state power, carrying out censorship and surveillance primarily through internet service providers and platforms.

Why did Google start releasing data about government requests?

Google started releasing data about government requests to increase transparency and inform the public about the challenges companies face when governments ask them to block or remove content.

What challenges do internet service providers face regarding government requests?

Internet service providers face challenges in maintaining transparency and balancing legal requirements with ethical considerations when governments ask them to block or remove content.

How does the lack of transparency affect the understanding of internet censorship?

The lack of transparency makes it difficult for the public to know what governments are requesting from companies and how companies are responding, which can lead to a misunderstanding of the extent and nature of internet censorship.

What examples are given of private companies controlling information flow?

Examples include Facebook removing pictures of protests, Flickr deleting uploaded photos of Egyptian police officers, and Apple exercising control over their App Store by filtering apps based on various criteria.

Why did Apple remove the 'baby shaking game' from its App Store?

Apple removed the 'baby shaking game' from its App Store due to public pressure and concerns about the game promoting child abuse, which is associated with 'shaking baby syndrome'.

What is the significance of the app 'Freedom Time' mentioned in the script?

The app 'Freedom Time' was a countdown timer to the end of George W. Bush's presidential term. Apple removed it from the App Store, illustrating how companies can censor content that might be controversial or politically sensitive.

Why is it important to be aware of internet censorship practices worldwide?

Being aware of internet censorship practices is important because it helps individuals understand the limitations of online freedom and the potential biases in the information they access. It also encourages transparency and can lead to more informed discussions about internet governance.

What can people do if they suspect internet censorship?

If people suspect internet censorship, they can report it to organizations like Herdict to help make censorship more transparent. Additionally, they can visit websites like the Berkman Klein Center for more information on the topic.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Internet Censorship and Corporate Control

The paragraph discusses the reality of internet censorship and how it's not limited to authoritarian regimes. It explains that while the internet is often perceived as a free and open space, it is largely controlled by private corporations. The script mentions China's active role in instructing internet service providers and content hosts to police their services, even awarding companies that contribute to a 'harmonious and healthy internet'. The CEO of Baidu, Robin Li, is highlighted as a recipient of such an award. The paragraph also points out that similar censorship occurs in Western democracies, with internet service providers receiving requests from governments to block or remove content. Google's transparency reports, which detail government requests for content takedowns, are mentioned as a commendable step towards openness. The paragraph emphasizes the role of corporations as intermediaries that can be pressured to censor content, not just by governments but also due to their own initiatives or risk aversion.

05:02

🚫 Corporate Censorship and Its Impact on Society

This paragraph delves into the dangers of corporate censorship, where companies like Apple, Facebook, and Flickr are shown to have removed content based on various reasons, including legal, ethical, and their own policies. The script recounts specific instances, such as Facebook removing pictures from protests in Brazil and Flickr deleting photos of Egyptian police officers. It also discusses Apple's control over its App Store, citing the removal of an app that was simply a countdown to the end of George W. Bush's presidency. The paragraph concludes by stressing that censorship is a global issue, not confined to authoritarian states, and encourages viewers to report such incidents to help.org to increase transparency. It also directs viewers to the Berkman website for more information on the topic.

Keywords

💡Censorship

Censorship refers to the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, or other types of media that are deemed objectionable by the powers that be. In the context of the video, censorship is discussed as a mechanism used by both authoritarian and democratic governments to control what people can see and say on the internet. The video mentions Chinese internet censorship as a primary example, where the government instructs service providers to police content.

💡Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

ISPs are companies that provide individuals and organizations with access to the internet. The video discusses how ISPs often act as intermediaries between governments and internet users, sometimes blocking or removing content at the behest of governments or due to their own initiatives. An example given is Google, which started releasing data about government requests for content removal.

💡Content Hosts

Content hosts are platforms or services that store and display user-generated content. The video explains that these hosts, like ISPs, can limit what users can see and do online. Content hosts may remove content for legal, ethical, economic, or other reasons, as illustrated by Facebook removing pictures of protests in Brazil.

💡State Power

State power refers to the authority and influence that a government has over its citizens and within its territory. The video suggests that in China, internet service providers and platforms act as an extension of state power, enforcing censorship and surveillance on behalf of the government.

💡Private Sector

The private sector consists of businesses and organizations that operate independently of government control. The video highlights that in China, the censorship and surveillance are carried out primarily by private sector companies, which receive awards for contributing to a 'harmonious and healthy internet'.

💡Transparency

Transparency in this context means the openness and clarity with which information is shared, particularly regarding government requests for content removal. The video points out a lack of transparency as a major challenge, but commends Google for releasing information about government requests, providing some level of transparency.

💡Self-Discipline Award

The Self-Discipline Award is mentioned in the video as an accolade given by the Chinese government to companies that contribute to a controlled and 'healthy' internet environment. This award is part of the mechanism that incentivizes private companies to engage in censorship.

💡Open Net Initiative

The Open Net Initiative is an organization mentioned in the video that researches and reports on internet censorship worldwide. It is used as an example to show that state-sponsored internet censorship is not limited to authoritarian regimes but occurs in many countries, including democratic ones.

💡Freedom of Information

Freedom of information is the principle that the public has a right to access information held by public authorities. The video discusses how censorship by ISPs and content hosts can infringe upon this freedom, as they control the flow of information that people can access online.

💡Ethical Considerations

Ethical considerations are principles of morality that guide actions and decisions. The video touches on ethical considerations when discussing how companies like Apple control the content in their App Store, sometimes removing apps for reasons that go beyond legal requirements, raising questions about the ethical implications of such censorship.

💡Community Rules

Community rules are guidelines set by online platforms to regulate user behavior and content. The video uses Flickr as an example, where the platform removed photos that violated its community rules, illustrating how these rules can lead to censorship.

Highlights

The internet is not as free and open as one might think.

Private corporations control what you can say or see on the internet.

In China, the government instructs internet service providers to police their services.

Chinese companies receive 'internet self-discipline awards' for contributing to a 'harmonious' internet.

Private sector companies in China act as an extension of state power in internet censorship.

Censorship is not limited to authoritarian regimes; it occurs in Western democracies as well.

Google started releasing data about government requests for content removal in 2010.

There is a lack of transparency regarding government requests to companies.

ISPs often remove or block content when governments ask, and sometimes without prompting.

Private companies control the flow of information on their platforms for various reasons.

Facebook removed pictures of protests in Brazil, including barechested women, for violating community standards.

Flickr was caught removing content, such as photos of Egyptian police officers, due to copyright violations.

Apple exercises severe control over their App Store, filtering apps for various reasons.

Apple removed an app counting down to the end of George W Bush's presidential term due to potential controversy.

Censorship is a global issue, not just confined to authoritarian regimes.

Online space is privately owned, and users are limited by what ISPs and content hosts allow.

If you can't access content, report it to help make censorship more transparent.

For more information on censorship, visit the Berkman website.

Transcripts

have you ever come across this kind of

error while surfing on the internet it

may be that the web page you're trying

to access has been

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censored contrary to popular belief the

internet is not as free and open as one

might think all of our activity on the

internet pass through the hands of

private corporations and they decide

what you can say or see on the internet

in China for example the government

actively instructs internet service

providers and their content hosts to

police their

services they even go as far as handing

out internet self-discipline Awards to

companies that contribute the most to a

harmonious and healthy internet

development and this is a ceremony I

attended in 2009 where um the the top 20

websites in China receive What's called

the self-discipline award and Robin Lee

the CEO of Buu was one of those

recipients um and so this is this is one

of the features of Chinese internet

censorship and surveillance that um it's

actually carried out primarily by

private sector companies and that the

the uh companies that run China's

internet services and platforms are

acting as an extension of state power it

may not surprise you that this kind of

censorship takes place in authoritarian

regimes but similar kinds of censorship

can also occur in western

democracies for many it began with China

that was the most public example that

was the place where the companies had

been named and shamed and otherwise um

uh uh uh publicly um taken to task um

but very quickly folks realized that it

wasn't just China that it was countries

around the world and in fact as we've

seen in the open net inititive research

it's dozens of countries um where state

sponsored internet censorship is

happening and it's not just

authoritarian regimes but it's in fact

Democratic Western regimes internet

service providers around the world

receive many requests from Western

governments to block or remove content

in 2010 Google started releasing data

about the requests they receive and how

often they comply one one of the great

challenges that we all face in this

space is a total lack of transparency as

to what governments are requesting of

companies how companies are responding

and um much to its credit uh Google has

uh released information about the

government requests it receives for

takedowns and made that public on a

country by country basis not quite in

real time but but in Fairly real time

and that's a really remarkable step in

giving us all a window into the

challenges that particular companies are

faced to address with uh the requests

they get from governments

we're talking about corporations that

serve as intermediaries platforms for

information flow between people and

among people and they may find

themselves in a position where they are

pressured or asked or

demanded that they not permit certain

information flows to take place the idea

would be look we're just a company if a

government asks us to do something and

we're on their Turf we usually have no

choice but to go ahead and censor isps

often remove or block content when

governments ask but they also do it

without prompting or

coersion there are many examples of how

private companies control the flow of

information on their platforms be it for

legal ethical economic or other reasons

shortly after the so-called walks

against male chauvinism in Brazil it was

reported that Facebook had removed

pictures of the protest including

barechested women these images have

since been leaded by Facebook for

violating the Declaration of Rights and

responsibilities as outlined by the

online service flicker as well was

caught removing content in early 2011

hosam El hamala discovered that Flickr

deleted his uploaded photos of police

officers from Egypt's State security

Force he later learned that this

happened because the pictures were taken

by someone else a violation of the

site's Community rules apple is also

known for the severe control they

exercise over their app store at its

launch in 2008 Steve Jobs announced that

the platform isn't open to every app for

a variety of reasons will there be

limitations of course there are going to

be some apps that we're not going to

distribute the ambiguous unforeseen in

particular gives Apple a free hand to

filter as they see fit somebody came up

with a baby shaking game on the iPhone

and offered it up in the store and then

a bunch of people said shaking baby

syndrome is a serious problem Apple do

the right thing get rid of it and apple

got rid of it and I think that can be

pretty dangerous because now you've got

highly risk averse companies like on the

margin what do they need this kind of

pressure for and they'll get rid of not

just shaking baby but as happened with

apple they got rid of an app that was

simply a countdown to the end of George

W Bush's presidential term oh that's all

it was was a timer um called uh Freedom

time to counting down to the end of an

error and instead of

era they didn't allow the app because

they don't want to get in the crossfire

and that's dangerous for a healthy

Society in short people often look at

the internet as a free and open public

space the reality however is that the

vast majority of online space is

privately owned online people are

limited to what internet service

providers and content hosts allow them

to do and see sometimes they restrict

content because of government pressure

but sometimes times they do it on their

own initiative we need to be aware that

censorship is not just something that

happens in authoritarian regimes but

actually occurs all over the world so be

aware you can't always stop these

practices but if you can't reach the

content you're looking for you can

report it to her.org to help make

censorship more

transparent for more information about

these kinds of censorship visit the

burkman website

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