Title: Why do some countries censor the internet?
Headings: Why do some countries censor the internet?
Why do some countries censor the internet?
The current technological movement gives the impression that the internet is unrestrained: read on to find out about seven countries enforcing censorship of the internet
Saudi Arabia
Ethiopia
Eritrea
China
North Korea
Closer to home
What can be done about State censorship of the internet?

Content: After all, it is now used for everything from reading the news to getting work done and, thanks to social media and video calls, is one of the most popular channels of communication. For this reason, you might be forgiven for thinking that internet access is unrestricted the world over. In reality, there are a lot of governments that seek to control it. The common motive behind censoring the internet is often political; whether under the guise of ‘preventing election day chaos’, like we saw in the Republic of Congo earlier this year, or completely controlling what information citizens have access to, such as in North Korea. By controlling the internet, ruling parties can quash dissident activity and monitor online communications. Governments are then able to extend a greater hold over what people say and do, and often, how they vote. With over four billion people now using the internet, the fact that accessing it has become more restricted would seem to be at odds with the figures. And yet, censorship remains on the rise. A report published last year by the independent watchdog Freedom House showed that internet freedom had been curtailed for the eighth year running, with an increasing number of governments tightening control over citizens’ data use.