Internet Censorship in 2024: Is It Good or Bad?

Ever notice how something becomes even more interesting when it's out of reach? That's kind of what happens with the internet.

The internet has become an essential part of our lives, connecting us to information, communication, and entertainment. But what happens when internet access is limited or unavailable?

For some countries, the internet is a privilege, not a right, with restricted access to information.  There has been a significant increase in internet shutdowns in 2024. Countries like India, Pakistan, and Sudan have all experienced temporary suspensions of internet access.

But where there are walls, there are ways around them. That's where Virtual Private Network (VPN) providers come in. These handy tools act like secret tunnels, hiding your online activity and making it seem like you're browsing from a different location. 

The debate on censorship is a hot one. Some folks believe it protects people, while others see it as stifling information and freedom.  This article will explore both sides of the issue and explain how you can navigate a censored internet. 

What is the purpose of internet censorship?

There are various reasons for Internet censorship, and some are more well-intentioned than others. There are use cases for protecting children from accessing sensitive information, and then there are authoritative attempts to gate a group of people’s access to important information to control the narrative.

Some instances include: 

• Stop people from accessing copyrighted information
• Keep people from viewing harmful or sensitive content
• Control Internet-related crime
• Monitor the billions of people on the Internet

While we typically think of Internet censorship as being controlled by governments, it’s commonly used by other organizations, like Internet service providers, to limit your access to certain sites.

Where does internet censorship happen?

Online censorship can happen surprisingly close to home and across vast geographical scales. 

Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) might block certain websites or types of content, like pornography or file-sharing sites.  Even workplaces and schools can implement filters to restrict access to content they deem distracting or inappropriate.

Governments of some countries have implemented extensive censorship measures. This can involve blocking specific websites, filtering entire categories of content, or even creating national firewalls to restrict access to the wider internet.

Social media platforms and other online services have their own content moderation policies. They might remove content that violates their terms of service, including things like hate speech, bullying, or copyrighted material.

The key takeaway is that censorship can be a layered issue. You might encounter restrictions from your ISP, the national government, and even the individual platforms you use online.

What content is commonly censored?

The content filtered on the internet spans from illegal activities to culturally sensitive topics.

Governments and organizations often restrict access to illegal content like child pornography, violent extremism, and copyrighted material being distributed without permission.

However, censorship can extend beyond clear-cut illegality. Governments might limit access to information critical of their leadership or entirely control social media companies to manage the flow of information.

Cultural norms also influence censorship, with some countries censoring content like pornography or blasphemy that might be freely available elsewhere. Moreover, parents can install parental controls or set up firewalls at home to prevent children from accessing inappropriate websites.

Additionally, national security concerns can lead to censorship of sensitive information, such as military secrets or instructions on creating weapons.

Global internet censorship

Internet censorship varies widely around the world, ranging from little to no oversight to very pervasive control and surveillance. Let’s examine two countries on opposite sides of the spectrum.

Source: Statista

Internet censorship in America

Internet censorship in the US is among the least controlled in the world. This is mainly because most online activity is protected by First Amendment rights. There is still some surveillance and control when it comes to publishing certain content that may contain libel, child pornography, and intellectual property. While the Internet in the U.S. isn’t highly censored, it is highly regulated, which leads to a lot of self-censorship in America.

Internet censorship in China

Internet control and surveillance in China are among the strictest in the world. The Chinese government blocks a range of websites that contain content related to various historical independences, protests, freedom of speech, and pornography from its estimated 500 million Internet users. International media and news sites, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, are also flagged.

How internet censorship works

Since the type or level of internet censorship differs depending on the situation, so do the measures taken to enforce it. The most common methods of implementing censorship include:

DNS spoofing

DNS spoofing refers to manipulating the Domain Name System (DNS) to disrupt how web addresses translate to IP addresses.

Normally, when you enter a website address, your device queries a DNS server to find the corresponding IP address. The ISP can remove the IP address entries for specific websites from their DNS servers. When you try to access those sites, your device queries the tampered DNS server and receives no response, effectively blocking access.

IP address blocking

Websites can be selective about who sees their content. Servers can block visitors by their IP address. Sometimes, governments or the website itself might restrict access based on location.

This is why you might see an error message saying the content isn't available in your region. The website is programmed to recognize your IP address, determine your location, and block your access based on pre-set rules. 

Blocking IP addresses can also be a security measure, stopping hackers from trying to break into the website or preventing overwhelming spam comments from bots.

URL filtering

URL filtering implements various techniques to control or restrict access based on predefined criteria. 

One method URL filters use is keyword scanning. It analyzes the text on a webpage to see if it contains certain words or phrases. The filter can block your access entirely if the content touches topics deemed off-limits, like adult content.

But keywords aren't the only tool. Security ratings can also come into play. If a website is known to be malicious or harbor viruses, the filter can shield you from it. Additionally, filters can check websites against blacklists – pre-compiled lists of known problematic domains – and block access accordingly.

Packet filtering

 Packet filtering examines the "headers" of data packets, like little labels containing information about the data they carry. These headers include the source IP, destination IP, protocol, and ports.

Normally, packet filtering helps ensure that only authorized traffic flows through a network. It can identify and stop malicious packets from trying to enter. However, governments can configure the filter to target specific protocols or ports.

For instance, some tools people use to bypass censorship might rely on encryption or use less common ports. By recognizing these characteristics in the packet headers, the filter can block the traffic entirely, stopping people from using those tools. This restricts access to information the censors deem undesirable.

Traffic shaping

Traffic shaping allows network administrators to control the data flow, prioritizing certain types of traffic, such as emergency vehicles.

For legitimate purposes, ISPs might use traffic shaping to limit bandwidth-heavy activities like video streaming during peak hours. This ensures everyone has a smooth internet experience.

However, governments can specifically target traffic headed towards restricted websites. By slowing down the data flow in these lanes to a crawl, they can make these websites frustratingly slow and unreliable.

Imagine a lane on the highway deliberately congested, making it tedious and time-consuming. This discourages users from visiting the restricted sites altogether, achieving censorship through frustration rather than outright blocking.

Port blocking

Port blocking is a censorship technique that controls traffic based on specific entry points (ports) and the communication methods (protocols) used. By blocking specific ports commonly used by tools like VPNs, which encrypt internet traffic, censors attempt to restrict access to those tools.

However, this method has limitations. Some tools can disguise their traffic or use alternate ports to bypass the block, making it an ongoing game between censors and those seeking to circumvent censorship.

Advantages of internet censorship

It’s important to remember that Internet censorship has advantages when used with the best intentions. These include:

• Create common-sense limits. Let’s be honest - there’s a lot of content on the Internet that no one should ever see (re: Momo Challenge), and the concept of Internet censorship can start a constructive conversation about it.
• Stop fake news. Closer content monitoring could reduce the mass amounts of fraudulent information, including false advertising.
• Curb access to harmful activities. The dark web is unchartered territory to the majority of Internet users, but some sites are shockingly easy to find that are dedicated to illegal acts like sex trafficking, child pornography, illicit drugs, and
• Less identity theft. In theory, with less content on the Internet that requires identity information, there would be less identity theft. 

Disadvantages of internet censorship

Some big disadvantages to Internet censorship affect the way people access information. These include:

• It restricts too much information. It’s entirely possible that real information is blocked along with fake information, which opens up a large debate about what you should and shouldn’t restrict/access. 
• Who’s in charge? How are rules defined? Are there checks and balances? Internet censorship could quickly turn into a matter of opinion on what is acceptable and what isn’t.
• Censors free speech. Internet censorship affects not only the content you can access but potentially the content you post as well. 
• Cost. This goes without saying, but the workforce required and the associated cost to control and survey Internet users would be astronomical—most likely at the taxpayer's expense.

How to avoid internet censorship

It's important to understand that bypassing internet censorship can be complex and have risks. Here are some methods to consider, but legality and effectiveness can vary depending on location:

• VPN encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through a server in another location. This masks your IP address, making it appear as if you're browsing from a different country with fewer restrictions. However, some governments can still detect VPN use, and some VPN services might have limitations.

• Proxy Servers act as intermediaries between your device and the internet. You connect to the proxy server, which then fetches the website you want to access and relays the information back to you. Proxy networks can be free or paid, but some governments can block access to popular proxy servers.
• Secure browsers like Tor route your traffic through multiple volunteer-operated nodes, hiding your device as the origin of your connection. It allows you to access censored content if the last node is located in a country without the same restrictions.

The good, the bad, and the ugly

Internet censorship is typically handled at the government level. Laws, cultures, and safety all play a role in these decisions. It's a hot topic with strong opinions on both sides.

While keeping kids safe and stopping bad things online is important, we also don't want to shut people out from information or free speech. It is a touchy subject, but it’s important to underline the facts and present both sides of the argument.

The best way forward is to talk things out openly and help people learn to be smart about what they see online. 

Learn about how access control lists (ACL) determine which traffic is blocked and which traffic is forwarded to the network.