Censorship

[Doubletap]

"Censorship” is a term pertaining only to governmental action. No private action is censorship. No private individual or agency can silence a man or suppress a publication; only the government can do so. The freedom of speech of private individuals includes the right not to agree, not to listen and not to finance one’s own antagonists.

Censorship, in its old-fashioned meaning, is a government edict that forbids the discussion of some specific subjects or ideas—such, for instance, as sex, religion or criticism of government officials—an edict enforced by the government’s scrutiny of all forms of communication prior to their public release. But for stifling the freedom of men’s minds the modern method is much more potent; it rests on the power of nonobjective law; it neither forbids nor permits anything; it never defines or specifies; it merely delivers men’s lives, fortunes, careers, ambitions into the arbitrary power of a bureaucrat who can reward or punish at whim. It spares the bureaucrat the troublesome necessity of committing himself to rigid rules—and it places upon the victims the burden of discovering how to please him, with a fluid unknowable as their only guide"--Ayn Rand

 

[waltky]

Just think what they will do when they get control of the internet...

China Approves Law to Tighten Control on Internet Use
November 07, 2016 — China's legislature approved a cybersecurity law on Monday that human rights activists warn will tighten political controls and foreign companies say might hamper access to Chinese technology markets.

Chinese authorities say the law is required to prevent crime and terrorism. It also prohibits activity aimed at ``overthrowing the socialist system,'' a reference to challenges to the ruling Communist Party's monopoly on power. Chinese leaders promote internet use for business and education but try to block access to material deemed subversive or obscene. The country has the biggest population of Internet users at 710 million, according to government data. The latest measure approved by the National People's Congress requires companies to enforce censorship and aid in investigations and imposes standards for security technology. It tightens controls on where Chinese citizens' data can be stored.

China Approves Law to Tighten Control on Internet Use​

Human rights groups complain it will extend controls on a society in which media are controlled by the ruling party and the internet has provided a rare forum for individuals to express themselves to a large audience. "The new cyber-security law tightens the authorities' repressive grip on the internet,'' said Patrick Poon, a China researcher for Amnesty International, in a statement. "It goes further than ever before in codifying abusive practices, with a near total disregard for the rights to freedom of expression and privacy.'' Passage of the law comes amid a crackdown on dissent under Communist Party leader Xi Jinping in which hundreds of human rights activists and legal professionals have been detained or questioned.

A coalition of business groups warned in August the latest proposed measures might limit access to China's market for security technology in violation of Beijing's World Trade Organization commitments. Business groups have complained Beijing increasingly is using regulation to try to squeeze foreign competitors out of promising industries. "We believe this is a step backwards for innovation in China that won't do much to improve security,'' said James Zimmerman, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, in a statement. He said it will "create barriers to trade and innovation.'' The law's requirements for national security reviews and data sharing will "unnecessarily weaken security and potentially expose personal information,'' said Zimmerman. He said some measures "seem to emphasize protectionism rather than security.''

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[Mister B]

"Censorship” is a term pertaining only to governmental action. No private action is censorship. No private individual or agency can silence a man or suppress a publication; only the government can do so. The freedom of speech of private individuals includes the right not to agree, not to listen and not to finance one’s own antagonists.

Censorship, in its old-fashioned meaning, is a government edict that forbids the discussion of some specific subjects or ideas—such, for instance, as sex, religion or criticism of government officials—an edict enforced by the government’s scrutiny of all forms of communication prior to their public release. But for stifling the freedom of men’s minds the modern method is much more potent; it rests on the power of nonobjective law; it neither forbids nor permits anything; it never defines or specifies; it merely delivers men’s lives, fortunes, careers, ambitions into the arbitrary power of a bureaucrat who can reward or punish at whim. It spares the bureaucrat the troublesome necessity of committing himself to rigid rules—and it places upon the victims the burden of discovering how to please him, with a fluid unknowable as their only guide"--Ayn Rand

What term is used specifically to refer to "censorship" in the private sector? One example - I work for G4S Solutions at a data storage company in NC. The other day in our shift pass-down we were informed that we were not to discuss any controversial subjects to include politics and religion. I would have presumed this to be censorship.