International holidays - World Day Against Cyber ​​Censorship

Attempts to limit the freedom of expression of people and media representatives by the ruling circles of countries and their power structures have been made throughout the history of mankind. The Vatican at various times banned the books of Giordano Bruno, Spinoza, Balzac, Sartre and Hugo, the Russian Orthodox Church - Radishchev, Leskov, Belinsky and Leo Tolstoy, who was anathema by decision of the Holy Synod. In totalitarian states, censorship is one of the ways to spread ideology and maintain power by the ruling elite. In the age of modern technology, they are trying to limit the freedom of dissemination of information transmitted via the Internet by imposing bans on the network. The fight against dissent and censorship on the World Wide Web is a way for the state to protect its interests. Restrictions on the dissemination of information, according to authorities, help to secure the lives of citizens - to protect them from manifestations of terrorism and extremism. However, representatives of various international organizations do not agree with these statements, who believe that the bans interfere with the existence of freedom of speech - the cornerstone of democracy. On their initiative, World Day Against Cybercensorship is celebrated annually on March 12th. World Day Against Cyber ​​Censorship was first held in 2008, when representatives of Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders approached the management of Google Inc., Yahoo! And Microsoft Corporation. The creators of the holiday offered to support their initiative to combat censorship in the virtual space. The event was aimed at supporting the Internet, where freedom of speech and self-expression should not be violated. Representatives of digital media, journalists and bloggers began to fight cyber censorship long before the establishment of World Day Against Cyber ​​Censorship. Thus, in 2006, the List of Enemies of the Free Internet was compiled. It included 13 countries in which news and other information shared online were censored and users were subject to repression. The list includes Belarus, Vietnam, Iran, Burma (Myanmar), Egypt, China, Cuba, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Syria, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Lists of enemies of the Internet are compiled by Reporters Without Borders every year. Online free speech activists have established their own prize, the Netizen Prize, which is awarded to cyber dissidents. It's no secret that digital media reporters and bloggers are subject to persecution, arrest and repression by the state. The annual award rewards the courage of journalists and their selfless fight for freedom of speech and the transmission of information on the Internet. Movement activists call on leading web systems at least once a year, on March 12, to abandon censorship in search filters, blocking sites and other measures against existing platforms. These events are aimed at eradicating prohibitions and restrictions on the freedom of information transmission on the Internet.