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Study Finds Free Speech Is Under Massive Attack

A new report by the Economist newspaper has found that online freedom of speech is under massive attack, as government’s attempt to impose strict censorship rules worldwide.   Their report mirrors what other watchdogs are saying: government censorship, threats of violence and social justice warriors all pose a threat to the future of the free internet. Economist.com reports: Free speech is under attack in three ways. First, repression by governments has increased. Several countries have reimposed cold-war controls or introduced new ones. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia enjoyed a free-for-all of vigorous debate. Under Vladimir Putin, the muzzle has tightened again. All the main television-news outlets are now controlled by the state or by Mr Putin’s cronies. Journalists who ask awkward questions are no longer likely to be sent to labour camps, but several have been murdered. China’s leader, Xi Jinping, ordered a crackdown after he took over in 2012, toughening up censorship of social media, arresting hundreds of dissidents and replacing liberal debate in universities with extra Marxism. In the Middle East the overthrow of despots during the Arab spring let people speak freely for the first time in generations. This has lasted in Tunisia, but Syria [...]