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Censorship. We're all familiar with the term yet we do not often consider it in our daily lives. Many of us live in the United States, Canada, of the United Kingdom (sorry, just listing out the majority so don't get offended if you're not in one of those three xD) - nations that are often considered, at least in the eyes of the young and innocent, to be beacons of hope for a free world. What we often do not consider is the prevalence of censorship in the developed world, including those nations mentioned prior, and especially with regard to the internet. The internet, the global network of personal computers, servers, and databases, is the last great bastion of free thought and free information in the world and yet it is being threatened by the 'leaders' of democracy itself. As some of you may well know, the newest action against the internet in the United States (which is where many online companies and large websites make their home) is the PROTECT IP Act. The PROTECT IP Act falls just short of total and complete censorship of the internet in its present form: It would allow not only the United States government but also private companies to file former complaint and attempt to take down websites that are deemed harmful to copyright before the site owner is even aware of what is happening. Other acts of censorship stem from the DMCA and other laws enacted with good intentions - protecting against theft of ideas and loss of copyright revenue for artists - but that have fallen short or been misguided into tools of censorship against legitimate business, alternative software, researchers, security testers, and even the consumers themselves. The United States is not alone though - far from it actually - and it is but a ripple in the swirling sea that threatens internet freedom worldwide.
Below is a listing of nations (excluding small island nations because I'm lazy) by continent and their censorship levels relative to that of a completely free internet as of April 2009 - I will include updates that I remember. You may be surprised by some of these.
Definitions:
Internet "Black Hole" - The censoring of the internet is so heavy and total that access to most 'daily' sites for the West, such as Facebook, Youtube, and others, is heavily monitored or nonexistent. Most web access must go through a proxy server in another nation. News and media online is often under total government control.
Internet Watchlist - Actions in legislation against internet access, either presently or in the recent past, have gained media attention from outside nations. Actions taken by the government in these nations may, in the near future, threaten to plunge the nations on the watchlist into the "Internet 'black hole'" category. Internet access and regulation may be fairly heavy on controversial issues; significant warping of news media is often present.
Some Censorship - Access to many sites known for torrenting or piracy may be restricted, along with possible limitations on access to government workings that should otherwise be public, some twisting of news outlets online, and similar restrictions.
Little or no Censorship - Access to the internet is generally regulated by private companies for internet service and search engines; there is little or no government interference on content.
Africa
Internet 'Black Holes' - Tunisia and Egypt. Both nations heavily censored access to the internet or cut it off entirely in just the past three years; open revolt and government protesting were present. Egypt is currently or has recently finished instating a new leader. While formerly 'black hole' status, the current level of censorship in these nations is unknown.
Internet Watchlist - Eritrea
Some Censorship - Algeria, Burundi, Ethiopia, Ghana, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, and Zimbabwe
Little or No Censorship - All other nations (lazy again)
Asia (for ease of grouping I am including Australia and Oceania in the listing for Asia)
Internet 'Black Holes' - Burma, China, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. China is famous for its 'Great Firewall' that blocks access to nearly all US sites including Facebook and YouTube. Many use proxies or VPNs to get around the firewall. Turkish citizens are currently protesting the cutoff of access to Google's services, including the search engine itself and YouTube.
Internet Watchlist - Australia, Bahrain, India, Malaysia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and New Zealand. Australia, India and New Zealand have recently enacted or reinforced laws that heavily regulate content (Australia and India) or impose harsh restrictions on access to information (New Zealand).
Some Censorship - Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Fiji, Georgia, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Oman, Maldives, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Taiwan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan
Little or No Censorship - All other Oceanic nations, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Paupa New Guinea
Europe
Internet 'Black Holes' - None yet
Internet Watchlist - Belarus, Greece, and Russia. Large protests and governmental suppression have arisen in the past year in Greece.
Some Censorship - Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom
Little or No Censorship - Albania, Andorra, Bosnia-Herzengovia, Croatia, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino, and Vatican City
North and South America
Internet 'Black Holes' - Cuba
Internet Watchlist - The United States. Due to the approval of the PROTECT IP Act and the passage of it into the US Senate for voting, the level of censorship in the US is on a thin edge. A tip in the wrong direction, the passage of PROTECT IP, could land the US on the 'black hole' list.
Some Censorship - Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, French Guadeloupe, Guiana, Martinique, Peru, and Puerto Rico
Little or No Censorship - All other Antillies Islands nations, Belize, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela
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