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Measure internet censorship

221 points · 162 comments · Bluestein

  1. mitxela · · focus · HN ↗
    There's a pretty bad bias problem here because the probe app scans domains that are frequently blocked in dictatorships, but doesn't scan domains that are frequently blocked in "democracies", like Anna's Archive. Then it ends up looking like the dictatorship countries have all the censorship.
    1. kurthr · · focus · HN ↗
      It all depends on what you're censoring.

      Is it a bad sign if CSAM, Personal (medical, financial, etc) Records, Snuff, and Malware/Ransomeware are censored? What about manufacture of WMDs, terrorism, hate speech? Free software, and copyrighted music? Historical records of genocide?

      1. mitxela · · focus · HN ↗
        You'd still want that censorship to be documented.
        1. kurthr · · focus · HN ↗
          "I was just downloading those videos of children being raped to make sure they were still available in their full un-redacted format!"

          Let me know how that works out.

          Arguably, the most significant difference is between "free speech" and commercial/paid speech, or distribution vs viewability, but not distinguishing the two and calling both "internet censorship" creates a phrase without much support or meaning.

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