Censorship is the act of blocking or stopping speech, public communication, or other information. This may happen because the material is seen as unacceptable, harmful, sensitive, or not helpful. Governments and private groups can perform censorship. When a person, such as an author or artist, stops themselves from sharing certain ideas or works, it is called self-censorship. Censorship happens in many types of media, including speech, books, music, films, art, newspapers, radio, television, and the Internet. Reasons for censorship include protecting national security, controlling harmful content like obscenity, pornography, and hate speech, safeguarding children and other vulnerable groups, influencing or limiting political or religious ideas, and stopping false accusations and harmful lies. Rules about censorship can be different in various places and among different groups.

Definition

There are several types of censorship.

Moral censorship happens when materials that are considered morally wrong, like pornography, are removed. Child pornography is illegal and censored in most countries.

Military censorship involves keeping military secrets and strategies private to protect the country's safety and keep the public's trust. This helps stop spies from getting information.

Political censorship occurs when governments hide information from their citizens. This is often done to gain control and stop people from speaking freely if it could cause uprisings.

Religious censorship is the way of removing materials that a religion finds offensive. This can happen when a main religion imposes rules on less common religions. Sometimes, one religion avoids materials from another if they believe the content is not suitable for their beliefs.

Corporate censorship happens when editors in company-owned media stop publishing information that shows their business or business partners in a bad light. They also prevent other options from being seen by the public.

Rationale and criticism

Censorship is sometimes used to enforce moral standards in society, such as when material considered inappropriate is restricted. E. M. Forster, an English writer, strongly disagreed with censoring books or other materials because they were labeled obscene or immoral. He argued that moral standards change over time and that people may have different views about what is right or wrong. In 1960, when the novel Lady Chatterley's Lover was put on trial, Forster wrote:

Lady Chatterley's Lover is an important book…I do not believe it is obscene, but I am unsure because the law does not clearly explain what makes something obscene. The law says obscenity can harm people, but it does not define what harm means.

In a 1997 essay, social commentator Michael Landier stated that censorship is not helpful because it stops people from discussing important topics. He also said that those who support censorship must believe the ideas they are hiding are true, as people who think they are correct would want to prove others wrong.

In his work The Republic, the ancient Greek philosopher Plato supported censorship, which he believed was needed to protect society from the dangers of democracy. In contrast, the Greek playwright Euripides (480–406 BC) defended the freedom of freeborn individuals, including the right to speak openly.

In 1766, Sweden became the first country to legally end censorship.

Types

Political censorship happens when governments stop people from sharing or learning about political ideas, which breaks rules about free speech, the press, and gathering together. Governments may hide, lie about, or change information that people receive from news sources. Without fair and true information, people may not be able to disagree with the government or the political group in power. Governments can also force news to only show stories they want people to believe. This can include giving money to influence people, spreading false information, putting people in jail, or even killing them. The term also includes stopping people from sharing opinions that go against the government.

After World War II, during the Allied occupation of Japan, any criticism of the Allies’ past actions, the Far East Military Tribunal, or the role of Allied leaders in creating Japan’s new constitution was heavily censored. From 1945 to 1949, the censorship group opened 200 million pieces of mail and 136 million telegrams. Phones were also monitored 800,000 times. People could not criticize the Allied forces for actions like dropping atomic bombs or the crimes of U.S. soldiers. Those who tried to speak out were added to a blacklist, and their groups were investigated, making it easier to punish or arrest them.

From 1956 to 1974, the Irish political group Sinn Féin was not allowed to take part in Northern Irish elections. From 1988 to 1994, the U.K. stopped the media from playing the voices (but not words) of Sinn Féin and ten other groups.

In India, rules from 2011 say that content is not allowed if it threatens India’s unity, security, or friendly relations with other countries. In Iraq under Saddam Hussein and in Romania under Ceauşescu, governments used similar methods to control the press, often with more violence.

In Turkey, it is illegal to insult the president. People who break this rule can be jailed for one to four years, and if the insult was public, the sentence can be longer. Critics, journalists, and cartoonists are often targeted. Between 2014 and 2019, over 128,000 investigations were started for this offense.

In French-speaking Belgium, politicians from far-right groups are not allowed to appear on live TV or radio shows.

Sometimes, censorship is used to protect people or help authorities, such as when hiding details about kidnappings to avoid helping the kidnappers.

During wars, governments often censor information to stop enemies from learning secrets. This includes hiding where or when events happen, or delaying news until it is no longer useful. Some people believe this is acceptable because sharing such information could harm their own soldiers or lead to losing the war.

During World War I, letters from British soldiers to the U.K. were checked by officers who used black markers to erase any information that might reveal military secrets. The phrase “Loose lips sink ships” was used during World War II to warn people not to share sensitive information.

Religious censorship happens when religious leaders or rules control what people can say or write. This has happened in many places and times, such as the Galileo affair, the Index Librorum Prohibitorum (a list of banned books), and the banning of Salman Rushdie’s book The Satanic Verses by an Iranian leader. Images of the Islamic figure Muhammad are also often censored to avoid controversy.

In ancient Greece, Socrates was punished for teaching ideas that went against the state’s beliefs. He was sentenced to death for corrupting young people and not believing in the state’s gods.

India’s Constitution allows freedom of expression but limits it to keep peace between religious groups.

In Malaysia, non-Muslims can be punished for using certain words related to Islam, such as “Allah” or “Quran,” in any language or context.

What students learn in school affects how they understand history and other subjects. Some people argue that certain information should be censored because it might not be suitable for young people, though what is “unsuitable” is often debated. A version of the book Fahrenheit 451 used in schools had about 75 changes from the original.

Textbooks can be controversial because they may hide or change difficult parts of history. This is called “whitewashing.” Examples include how wars and crimes are described, such as the Holocaust, the bombing of Dresden, the Nanking Massacre, the Armenian genocide, and the Tiananmen Square protests.

A 2024 study found that in 16 U.S. states with Republican leaders, rules were made to stop teaching critical views about race, sexuality, and other topics, instead promoting a more positive view of American history. In 2019, a writer noted that some groups try to teach children a version of history that glorifies the past rather than showing the truth. Examples include laws from the 1920s that banned books that criticized the U.S. founders and efforts in the 1990s to stop teaching about difficult parts of American history.

By media

Book censorship can happen at the national or local level and may lead to legal consequences for those who break the rules. Books can also be challenged by individuals or groups in a community. As a result, books may be taken out of schools or libraries, though these restrictions usually only apply in that specific area.

In the Eastern Bloc, government cultural departments controlled what writers could produce. Books and other cultural works reflected the government's messages. Censors approved by the ruling party closely monitored creative works during this time.

In 1973, a military group took control of Uruguay. The new government censored books and other materials. For example, writer Eduardo Galeano was imprisoned and later had to leave the country. His book Open Veins of Latin America was banned not only in Uruguay but also in Chile and Argentina.

In the Soviet Union, independent journalism did not exist until Mikhail Gorbachev became leader. He introduced glasnost, a policy that aimed to reduce censorship. Before glasnost, all news was controlled by the Communist Party. The newspaper Pravda was the main source of news in the Soviet Union. Foreign newspapers were only allowed if they were published by groups that supported the Soviet government.

During the Cold War, the Eastern Bloc tightly controlled copying machines to stop the spread of samizdat, which were illegal self-published books and magazines. Possessing even one samizdat book, such as those by Andrei Sinyavsky, was a serious crime and could lead to being investigated by the KGB. Some works were published outside the Eastern Bloc to avoid government control.

In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) can stop the broadcast of indecent or obscene material. Some people in the U.S. argue that changes to campaign finance laws limit free speech.

According to Christian Mihr, head of Reporters Without Borders, censorship in Serbia is not always obvious but can be proven. Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić has been criticized for being sensitive to criticism. For example, a journalist from Deutsche Welle Radio, Natalija Miletic, faced threats after asking Vučić about media freedom and plagiarism allegations. Many news outlets have accused Vučić of acting like a strong leader who limits democracy. In 2014, journalists raised concerns about media freedom in Serbia. In 2015, U.S. lawmakers told Vice President Joe Biden that Vučić’s brother was involved in reducing media freedom in Serbia.

Although Russia’s Constitution says censorship is not allowed, the government agency Roskomnadzor forces media to use only information from state sources or face fines and website blocks. In 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin passed a law that could send people to prison for up to 15 years if they share false information about the military. This led some media outlets in Russia to stop reporting on the war in Ukraine or close completely. In March 2022, the newspaper Novaya Gazeta stopped printing after receiving warnings from Roskomnadzor. By December 2022, over 4,000 people in Russia had been prosecuted under "fake news" laws related to the war in Ukraine. A Russian opposition leader, Ilya Yashin, was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison for discussing the Bucha massacre in Ukraine on YouTube.

Some films are censored not only for pornography or violence but also to avoid offending people due to changing attitudes about race or politics. For example, the "Censored Eleven" cartoons were banned later because they were considered outdated or offensive, even though they were not at the time.

Film censorship happens in many countries by limiting what producers can make or by controlling what citizens can see. In China, films about LGBTQ+ topics are censored. Filmmakers often seek funding from international groups, such as the Ford Foundation, or work through independent companies.

In Singapore, a law once banned films that supported political parties. The punishment for breaking this law was a fine or jail time. A film about a political leader was banned in 2001, and the creators apologized and removed the film from a festival. Another film about a political activist was banned in 2005. This law was not always followed when films supported the ruling party. For example, a documentary about a government official was not considered a political film. In 2009, the law was changed to allow political films if they were factual and objective.

Music censorship is used by governments, religious groups, schools, families, and other organizations.

Maps are sometimes censored for military reasons. For example, in East Germany, maps near the border with West Germany were altered to make it harder for people to escape. Google Maps also censors some areas by hiding or updating old images.

An example of art censorship was when the Nazis used art to spread propaganda. Only art that supported Nazi ideas was allowed, and people who did not follow these rules faced severe punishments. The "Degenerate Art Exhibition" was an event that promoted Nazi values and criticized other art.

Destroying or limiting art is sometimes seen as giving it more meaning.

A prisoner at Guantanamo Bay, Moath al-Alwi, makes model ships using limited tools like dental floss and shampoo bottles. He was allowed to use small scissors with rounded edges. Some of his artwork was displayed in New York, but the U.S. military later banned taking artwork out of the detention center. The artwork became government property and could be destroyed or kept by the government.

In 1980, Israel passed a law banning artwork that used the four colors of the Palestinian flag. People were arrested for displaying such artwork or even for carrying melons with the same pattern.

Around 300 artists in Cuba are fighting for their artistic rights.

Impact of surveillance

Surveillance and censorship are not the same. Surveillance can happen without censorship, but censorship usually needs some kind of surveillance to take place. Even if surveillance does not directly cause censorship, knowing or believing that someone, their computer, or their online activities are being watched can make people feel afraid. This fear may cause them to avoid sharing certain ideas or information, even if they are not directly stopped from doing so.

Implementation

The former Soviet Union had a large program of censorship set by the government. The main group responsible for censorship was called Glavlit, short for the Chief Agency for Protection of Military and State Secrets. Glavlit controlled censorship for all types of domestic writings, including labels on beer and vodka. Censorship workers from Glavlit were present in every major Soviet publishing house, newspaper, and radio or television station. The agency had 70,000 people who reviewed information before it was shared through publishing houses, newsrooms, or broadcasting studios. No form of mass media was free from Glavlit’s control. All press agencies, radio stations, and television networks had Glavlit representatives working with their editorial teams.

Sometimes, the public may not learn about a specific document because authorities claim the work is "subversive" or "inconvenient." An example is Michel Foucault’s 1978 book Sexual Morality and the Law (later republished as The Danger of Child Sexuality), originally titled La loi de la pudeur ["the law of decency"]. This book argued for the removal of laws that criminalize certain sexual acts involving minors and the elimination of age-of-consent rules.

If a publisher is forced to stop a book from being published but has already signed a contract with the author, they may limit the book’s reach by printing only a small number of copies and avoiding promotion. This practice, called "privishing," began in the early 2000s.

According to OpenNet Initiative (ONI) classifications:

Cuban media was once managed by the Communist Party’s Department of Revolutionary Orientation, a group that "develops and coordinates propaganda strategies."

Concessions to avoid censorship

In the United States, the Parental Advisory warning appears on music releases from record labels that include content not suitable for children. This system was created in 1985 by the Recording Industry Association of America to avoid a possible law that would have banned songs with violent, sexual, or anti-Christian lyrics. Some groups wanted such a law to protect family values, but many musicians, including Frank Zappa and John Denver, argued it would break the First Amendment rights to free speech. They shared this view with Congress. In the 1990s, the U.S. video game industry made a similar choice to address moral concerns. They formed the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), which adds age-based content warnings to video game packaging in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

By country

Censorship in individual countries is measured using reports from Freedom House (FH), Reporters Without Borders (RWB), and the V-Dem government censorship effort index. Different aspects of censorship are assessed through the Freedom on the Net and OpenNet Initiative (ONI) categories.