Minecraft challenges internet censorship
Most of us use the Internet in their daily lives and do not imagine life without it. But what many take for granted, others are fighting for the right to use it. Learn about this innovative new solution to get around electronic censorship scissors.
Virtual library inside the famous Minecraft game to break internet censorship
With the widespread use of the Internet to access information and compare the situation in the world, many countries are increasingly censoring what their citizens have access to. Media outlets in particular suffer from blocking, for example, many DW content is banned in some countries, including Iran and China. In these cases, there are technological vulnerabilities that can be used to view blocked content, such as the Psiphon software that can be downloaded to electronic devices. Another innovative way to circumvent censorship was announced by the NGO Reporters Without Borders on World Day Against Internet Censorship, a virtual library that it hid in the corridors of the famous Minecraft game. The idea here was that even in countries that censor the Internet, video and computer games are still available, and through these games it is also possible to disseminate information to large numbers of users.
Russian journalist Yulia Berezovskaya reaches her readers through the virtual library of 'Minecraft'
The library contains articles and books banned in their countries of origin, as well as content from journalists who have been exiled, imprisoned or assassinated. For example, players can see the articles of former Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed at the Saudi Embassy in Istanbul in 2018. The library also contains articles by Mexican journalist Javier Valdez, who was shot dead in 2017. In addition, the writings of journalists Nguyen Van Dai of Vietnam and Yulia Berezovskaya from Russia, who live and work in exile, are included. Christine Bessse says the priority in the decision to publish content is always for the safety of journalists, adding: 'We don't want to put anyone at risk.'
'Pen is stronger than censorship'
It is remarkable that the articles in the library are not only in English, but also in the original language of each country. 'The best way to resist censorship is to make content in the original languages available to as many people as possible,' says James Delaney, director of BlockWorks, which designed the virtual library.
The company's 24-man team worldwide spent more than three months designing the virtual library within the game. Workers used more than 12 million cubes to build a library with giant corridors and endless shelves filled with books, and designers in front of the library built a statue of a pen-holding hand as a symbol of the power of words.
Games aren't just for luxury.
Delaney hopes the news will spread to the online library, especially among YouTube users and other social media celebrities. Previously, computer games were not widespread and were exclusively for certain categories. Now, these games have become part of the world's culture, and many have even become famous on YouTube for filming themselves playing for hours. 'There are currently more than 2 billion players in the world and the number is increasing, which is the most important cultural development of the past 10 years,' Delaney said. It is therefore important for this sector to participate in the discussion of thorny topics, as is the film and television sectors.' Through these games it is also possible to reach young people more easily, the average age of the Minecraft player is 24 years. Vietnamese journalist and activist Nguyen Van Dae, who has been imprisoned for many years in his country, says: 'If we want to change the future, we must reach out to the new generation.'
This is not the first time Reporters Without Borders has used innovative means to circumvent electronic censorship scissors, launching a list of songs with text lyrics banned from publication in five countries. This idea was a success and the group of songs was even ranked seventh in the list of the best songs in Vietnam.
