What Is Internet Censorship?
Broadly speaking, Internet censorship is when someone controls what others can see and do online. It can take a variety of forms and be implemented by a wide range of institutions.
It is also subjective: what some consider to be censorship may be considered by others as ethical behavior.
Schools, for example, may block access to age-inappropriate content. However, they might also block access to news websites and other important sources of information because they do not conform with the school’s religious views.
Governments often justify internet censorship by arguing that it helps prevent the spread of misinformation or harmful content. However, these justifications are often thinly veiled attempts at maintaining social control.
Widespread internet censorship can have a devastating impact on freedom of expression and other fundamental human rights. It can make it difficult to voice opposition, learn about a government’s failings, or organize political opposition.
Sites that are sometimes censored by governments include:
- Independent news publications, including those headquartered overseas.
- Search engines, which help people find content that the government may wish to suppress.
- File sharing sites, including torrenting sites or Google Docs, which enable people to share information freely.
- Blogging platforms, such as WordPress and Medium, which make it easy for people to publish their own views and reports of what they’ve witnessed.
- Social media sites, which enable people to share their views and connect with other like-minded individuals.
Internet censorship can be implemented by software developers, app store managers, internet service providers (ISP), or by those working on a country’s internet infrastructure.
In this article, we’ll be mainly talking about government-mandated internet censorship.
What Is the Purpose of Internet Censorship?
Internet restrictions are often imposed to prevent the spread of illegal content. However, governments, social media platforms, and other organizations can abuse their power and censor content that’s critical of them.
We’ve repeatedly documented governments blocking access to social media sites and other content online during periods of political instability, elections, and conflict. In response, citizens regularly turn to VPNs to retain access to the blocked content.
Internet censorship can be used to silence the opposition during elections. It can cover up human rights abuses during conflicts, and even disrupt attempts to coordinate relief efforts after natural disasters.
Internet censorship is fundamentally about controlling what people can see and say online. That means it’s often about maintaining control, rather than keeping people safe.
Who Is Responsible for Internet Censorship?
Any organization that provides access to information online also has the power to censor it.
An institution such as a school or college may censor internet content because it is considered unsuitable for young people.

It’s common for school networks to impose restrictions on certain websites.
Social media sites and search engines sometimes remove content for violating their own terms and conditions or because of government requests.
Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) might be required to block content following government orders. If the ISP doesn’t comply, it risks losing its license to operate in that country.
In some countries, government agencies use sophisticated technology to monitor and block access to specific websites, social media posts, and apps.
The Global Impact of Online Censorship
Online censorship has both positive and negative effects.
Here are some positive examples of censorship:
- Young people can be protected from content that may be harmful to them, for example if a school or college blocks pornography and violent content.
- Organizations can improve their productivity by blocking distracting content, such as social media sites.
- Employers can avoid the risk of legal action against them by blocking torrenting.
- An organization’s network performance can be protected by blocking torrenting, streaming and other data-hungry applications.
Widespread internet censorship can also have negative impacts for millions of people.
Some negative examples include:
- Political Repression: Countries like China and Russia use internet censorship to control citizens and suppress political opposition. Their draconian use of censorship undermines the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and the right to peaceful assembly and association. These rights are protected by articles 19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- Economic Consequences: There is a huge economic cost associated with internet shutdowns. Our research found that internet blackouts, social media shutdowns, and severe throttling cost $24.7 billion in 2022 alone.
- Overblocking: Permissible content may be blocked in error. We found that UK ISPs are blocking 8,000 websites that are not harmful to children. Services offering support related to substance abuse, domestic violence, and mental health counseling are sometimes misclassified and blocked. Thousands of wedding services, photography websites and sites about VPNs are also blocked.