“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes
freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart
information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
—Article 19, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UN General Assembly, 1948
Data Source: Freedom in the World 2008, Freedom House
Latest Postings
May 21, 2008—Russian musician tried as an "extremist" for sarcastic rant about police corruption...
May 20, 2008—Iran blocks access to advocate websites...
May 12, 2008—Egyptian government-owned ISP blocks access to websites of political opponents...
April 26, 2008—Saudis release blogger Fouah al-Farhan...
April 23, 2008—Israeli soldier sentenced to prison for posting photos to Facebook...
April 16, 2008—American journalist twitters his way out of Egyptian jail..
March 25, 2008—Censorship survives in "new china." A BBC reporter describes the Internet clamp down sweeping China....
March 21, 2008—China orders dozens of video websites to close...
March 19, 2008—Moroccan king pardons software engineer for political satire on Facebook...
March 16, 2008—Ethiopia is one of 15 countries in the world that is considered to be an “enemy of the Internet”...
March 15, 2008—China blocks access to YouTube over Tibet videos...
February 12, 2008—China launches initiative that targets unlicensed Internet cafes...
February 4, 2008—“The Great Firewall of China” restricts access to a popular sites...
February 2, 2008—American woman arrested in Saudi Arabia for using Starbucks’ wireless...
January 22, 2008—Afghan Journalism student sentenced to death for downloading...
January 1, 2008—Saudis confirm detention of blogger Fouah al-Farhan...
How to use the map
The purpose of this map is to raise awareness of the growing problem of government-imposed restrictions and sanctions that limit access to online information and restrict the free expression of opinions, beliefs, and ideas. The .pdf version of the map will be continually updated with notes to track specific incidents, country-by-country, as information becomes available.
Click the map on this page open the .pdf in Adobe Reader. You can use the Zoom controls to change the level of magnification, and move your mouse over any Note icon to learn more about a specific incident or story.
Adobe Reader is required to view the Freedom of Expression World Map. To download the latest version, click the Get Adobe Reader button in the sidebar.
Freedom of expression
for Second Life Residents
Did you know that 27,002 Second Life residents live in countries where freedom of expression is either restricted or forbidden? According to the most recent figures released by Linden Lab, 2% of Second Life residents live in countries where freedom of expression is not allowed, and another 3% reside in countries that permit only a limited degree of free expression.
To learn more about the issue, visit the following sites:
Freedom House
Newseum
Freedom Forum
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Global Voices Online
Reporters Without Borders
Humans Rights Watch
