The World Wide Web. Sounds pretty global, huh?
Since moving to Italy a little over a year ago, I’ve found the internet to be far less “world wide” than I originally thought. There were a few television programs that my family and I planned on following via the web and doing so has proved to be impossible.
Here are a few websites we’ve been notified (ironically in English) that the “content” was “not available” in “our region.”
(If you’re curious about any others, leave a request in the comments and I’ll let you know)
In fact, Italy is going toe to toe with Google, right now, as Italy’s Prime Minister “is pushing through new measures that would give the state control over online video content and force anyone who regularly uploads videos to obtain a license from the Ministry of Communications.” This would also apply to bloggers.
The stark reality is this: The Internet isn’t free.
The censorship we’ve experienced in Italy is mostly video, music and software, and has more to do with money than anything else. But Italy is not an isolated case and Internet censorship is even more extreme in other parts of the world.
It seems like most developed countries are in on it at some level, and they all have their reasons.
Take a few moments and learn more about the who, what, how and why of internet censorship. After all, it could very well be rendering your ministry or non-profit invisible to the very people you’re trying to reach.
austinklee says
Wow…great article! We take our ability to post and stream content for granted here in the US.
Eric Dye says
Let’s hope it stays that way in the US, too!
fredrikhimlen says
That kind of censorship that you’re unable to use content is based upon a stupid law. I think the problem is called “copyright”. As a Swedish guy I’m not allowed into those services, plus BBC and other area restricted services. I think that’s the reason that companys like Spotify can’t deliver it’s great features all over the world.
Eric Dye says
In my personal case, indeed, it is a copyright issue. Although if Italy’s Prime Minister gets his way, v-bloggers will be forced to obtain a license. Crazy, huh? Not as crazy as those countries that blatantly censor the internet, no questions ask!
As Austin said, “We take our ability to post and stream content for granted here in the US.”
BenJPickett says
What about the use of a proxy anonymizer, does that get you around it?
Eric Dye says
No, an anonymizer will not. A work-around, yes. The problem with that, however, is the speed is far to low to stream video.
(Or course, this only applies to what I’ve experienced here in Italy. I would assume in the hardcore censored countries it probably wouldn’t work.)