Several months ago, I did a top 10, or should I say bottom 10, on the most censored countries in the world when it comes to the Internet. Maybe I should redo that list.
Turkey, considered a moderate Middle Eastern nation, votes to widen online censorship. The Turkish government has blocked Google and Twitter access. And the people don’t like it. They’re getting around it by typing 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4 to access these websites. People are even using graffiti to bunk this system. That’s right: they’re painting these codes in public squares so that their neighbors can have the access they deserve.??It’s already been dubbed one of the worst attempts at censorship of all-time. Adding more insult, the Turkish people are using Open DNS and VPN, assuming they’re still going.
Good for the Turkish people. I applaud what they’re doing to stand up against censorship. Just like in previous periods of history, non-violent rebellion works. I hope the government gets the message. Why should America and the rest of the west even care? Keep in mind if a moderate nation is using such extremes to enforce censorship, whose next? They’re not the only ones. I read one article where Russia and China could take over the whole Internet. Knowing their governments’ track record, you trust online freedom to these two nations? And whose to say other governments won’t follow Turkey’s example?