Facebook purges left-wing pages and individuals
On Friday, Facebook carried out a purge of left-wing, antiwar and progressive Facebook pages and accounts, including members of the Socialist Equality Party.
Andre Damon•
Internet Censorship
Around the world, capitalist governments are working with Facebook, Google and other giant companies to censor the internet and block the spread of socialism.
In late April 2017, Google announced the implementation of new search algorithms which heavily censored access to the World Socialist Web Site and other left wing, anti-war and progressive websites. Similar measures have since been introduced by Facebook and Twitter. The WSWS has taken the lead in exposing this conspiracy to censor the Internet.
Meet the Censored: Andre Damon
Increased content moderation has been sold as a tool to control the far right, but the World Socialist Web Site was among the first to sound the alarm.
Matt Taibbi•
Google admits to censoring the World Socialist Web Site
In an extraordinary public admission, Google CEO Sundar Pichai stated during congressional testimony on October 28 that the online search giant has been censoring content from the World Socialist Web Site.
Kevin Reed•
An open letter to Google: Stop the censorship of the Internet! Stop the political blacklisting of the World Socialist Web Site!
David North, chairperson of the International Editorial Board of the World Socialist Web Site, has sent the following open letter to Google executives Sundar Pichai, Lawrence Page, Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt.
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Andre Damon•
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Kevin Reed•
David North, Andre Damon•
Kevin Reed•
On January 16, 2018, the World Socialist Web Site held a discussion on Internet censorship, featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Chris Hedges and WSWS International Editorial Board Chairperson David North. WSWS reporter Andre Damon moderated the discussion. The webinar explored the political context of the efforts to censor the Internet and abolish net neutrality, examine the pretexts used to justify the suppression of free speech (i.e., “fake news”), and discussed political strategies to defend democratic rights. Hedges and North also fielded questions from on-line listeners.
David North, Chairman of the World Socialist Web Site’s International Editorial Board, discusses the capitalist crisis in the United States.
Internet censorship
Biden-Harris tech policy: militarism and censorship
Democratic Party president-elect Joseph Biden is formulating policies and assembling a team committed to the use of advanced technologies for the purposes of warfare and suppression of free speech.
Kevin Reed•
Censored Planet: University of Michigan research finds worldwide increase in internet censorship
Data collected by a group of UM researchers has revealed that online interference is growing internationally and that “the world’s freest countries are not safe from internet censorship.”
Kevin Reed•
Meet the Censored: Andre Damon
Increased content moderation has been sold as a tool to control the far right, but the World Socialist Web Site was among the first to sound the alarm.
Matt Taibbi•
US Senate hearing on Section 230 law devolves into demands for social media censorship
The Senate Commerce Committee held a four-hour hearing on Wednesday to discuss the relevance of legal protections for online services that included testimony from three big tech CEOs.
Kevin Reed•
Kevin Reed•
Kevin Reed•
Kevin Reed•
Kevin Reed•
Kevin Reed•
Censorship on social media platforms
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Latest articles
Jacobin on Silicon Valley alliance with Trump: A diversion from socialist politics
Written with the characteristic pessimism of the upper-middle-class “left,” the piece obfuscates the growing integration of Silicon Valley with the fascist Republican wing of the American political establishment.
•Stephen Parker
US forces temporary shutdown of TikTok in major attack on First Amendment
In an action without any direct precedent in the United States, the American government forced the temporary shutdown of a major social media network on Saturday for 14 hours, setting a precedent for future violations of First Amendment rights.
•Andre Damon
Widespread opposition to Australia’s social media ban for under 16s
The ban is not only an attempt to suppress political ferment among young people, but would impact upon the entire population.
•Oscar Grenfell
Oppose Facebook’s shutdown of the WSWS in Portuguese page, an act of political censorship!
Facebook’s censorship of the “WSWS in Portuguese” page represents a dangerous precedent against socialist and independent political thinking throughout the world.
•Tomas Castanheira
Australian Labor government’s social media ban for under-16s provokes mass anger
The ban is transparent censorship, aimed at suppressing discussion and political activity among a generation that is being radicalised by the reality of war, climate catastrophe and dictatorship.
•International Youth and Students for Social Equality (Australia)
Australian Labor government faces widespread opposition to its “misinformation” laws
The public response reflects intense concern over the Albanese government’s bid to suppress online material that is deemed to be politically or economically harmful.
•Mike Head
Palestinian academic secures legal victory against witch-hunt at Sheffield Hallam University
On her crowdfund site, Abusalama explained: “This victory is not just personal. It is a victory against attempts to silence advocates for justice in Palestine”.
•Harvey Thompson
Meta Platforms and YouTube ban RT worldwide
Social media giants Meta and Alphabet took measures to censor RT and other Russian media outlets on Monday and Tuesday in response to sanctions announced by the US State Department for “covert influence operations.”
•Kevin Reed
Australian Labor government unveils sweeping political censorship laws
Taken together, these provisions would result in a wartime-style censorship regime not seen in Australia since World Wars I and II.
•Mike Head
Trial of “Uhuru 3” begins in Florida as US government accelerates anti-Russia campaign, war drive
As four members of Black nationalist groups in the US are facing potentially 15 years in prison for advancing positions in opposition to the Ukraine war, the Department of Justice claimed on Wednesday that Russia and Iran were “interfering” in the 2024 election.
•Jacob Crosse
The banning of X/Twitter in Brazil and the authoritarian drive of the capitalist state
Brazil’s supreme court has suspended access to X/Twitter, a platform used by tens of millions of Brazilians.
•Eduardo Parati, Tomas Castanheira
Kremlin expands internet censorship amid NATO escalation of the war against Russia
The Kremlin has taken steps to curtail access to YouTube, VPNs and the end-to-end encrypted messenger app Signal.
•Maxim Zotov
Fascist billionaires Trump and Musk express hatred of working class and fear of Marxism in interview on X
For over two hours, the two billionaires used the global communications platform to spread their neo-Nazi ideology and politics.
•Jacob Crosse
Meta maintains censorship regime in Canada a year after passage of Online News Act
For nearly a year, anyone in Canada seeking to look at or share material deemed to be news content, including from the World Socialist Web Site, has been greeted with a notice that declares, “In response to Canadian government legislation, news content can't be viewed in Canada.”
•Niles Niemuth
Julian Assange arrives in Australia free
In a press conference, Stella Assange hailed a global support movement for creating the conditions for Assange's freedom, while warning of an ongoing assault on press freedom that had to be fought.
•Oscar Grenfell
Julian Assange freed after plea deal with the US
The arrangement represents a massive victory for Assange, whose liberation will be welcomed by defenders of democratic rights and opponents of imperialist war around the world.
•Oscar Grenfell
US Surgeon General and Democrats launch campaign against youth access to social media and smartphones
Dr. Vivek Murthy launched a campaign calling for a health warning label requirement to be imposed on social media platforms by Congress.
•Kevin Reed
VIDEO: SEP (Australia) meeting—“Free Julian Assange! Oppose imperialist war!”
Speakers emphasised that the fight against Israel’s genocide, imperialist war and for the freedom of Assange must be based on the independent mobilisation of the working class against capitalism.
•Our reporters
SEP (Australia) forum in Melbourne demands freedom for Assange
The meeting unanimously passed a resolution condemning the US-led vendetta and demanding Assange’s immediate and unconditional freedom.
•Our reporters
Australian doctor denounces Zionist witch-hunting of medical workers opposing Gaza genocide
“We remain undeterred and will continue to speak out against the systematic silencing of Australian doctors and the complicity of the Australian government with the Gaza genocide.”—New South Wales doctor
•Health Workers Rank-and-File Committee (Australia)