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Image: Selcuk Acar/AA/picture alliance Image: Selcuk Acar/AA/picture alliance

Freedom of speech

Freedom of speech, or freedom of expression, is the right of an individual or a group to express their opinions without the fear of reprisals, censorship or legal repercussions.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

Psiphon App

Using DW and Psiphon to circumvent internet censorship

Using DW and Psiphon to circumvent internet censorship

DW utilizes the Psiphon tool to bypass censorship and allow access to blocked content from DW and other platforms.
TechnologyNovember 6, 2024
A Chinese webcast selling products on social media

Is internet freedom slipping away in Southeast Asia?

Is internet freedom slipping away in Southeast Asia?

Countries across the region are trending towards restricting free speech online, limiting access and censoring content.
Press FreedomOctober 29, 2024
Film still from 'Of Caravan and the Dogs': people in a office sit and discuss.

Kurov documentary traces Russian crackdown on free speech

Kurov documentary traces Russian crackdown on free speech

Askold Kurov's film "Of Caravan and the Dogs" shows how Russia shut down independent media after invading Ukraine.
FilmOctober 17, 2024
The poster for the first Frankfurt Book Fair in 1949: It reads Frankfurter Buchmesse in blue and red letters.

75 years of Frankfurt Book Fair: World stage for protests

75 years of Frankfurt Book Fair: World stage for protests

The Cold War and Iran's fatwa on Rushdie had an impact on the book fair, which opens with a controversy from Italy.
LiteratureOctober 16, 2024
A crowd of right-wing protesters

German right-wing extremists sue critics into silence

German right-wing extremists sue critics into silence

Right-wing extremists in Germany are increasingly trying to silence critics through intimidation lawsuits. 
Freedom of SpeechOctober 16, 202409:19 min
Rachita Taneja at a protest, film still from Drawing a Line

India: When stick figure cartoons are seen as a threat

India: When stick figure cartoons are seen as a threat

Political cartoonist Rachita Taneja faces threats and a possible prison sentence for her Sanitary Panels webcomic.
CultureOctober 11, 2024
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Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

X App und Brasilien Flagge

State bans on social media: A question of free speech?

Brazil has banned social media platform X. Should platforms be held responsible for content published by their users?
TechnologySeptember 5, 202403:40 min
A closeup of a smartphone displaying the Telegram app

Telegram: How the app defies calls for hate censorship

The arrest of Telegram's CEO and its hands-off approach to content moderation is bringing much unwanted attention.
BusinessAugust 26, 2024
A young woman in a long yellow skirt and sleeveless summer top speaks into a microphone held by a man in jeans, a black T-shirt and sunglasses. They are standing in a street with lots of shops and passers-by.

Turkey: Street interview arrest encourages self-censorship

Experts anticipate that more people will be arrested in future for expressing their opinions to the media in vox pops.
PoliticsAugust 24, 2024
A police officer fires tear gas towards pro-reform protesters during an anti-government demonstration in Nairobi, Kenya

Kenya's digital revolution: What next for Generation Z?

Online platforms are at the forefront of activism and dissent in Kenya, raising fears of surveillance and fake news.
PoliticsAugust 11, 2024
A demonstrator holds a Venezuelan flag and shouts as people gather to protest election results

Venezuela's Maduro cracks down on X, election dissent

Venezuela is increasingly silencing critics — and social media — after President Nicolas Maduro's disputed reelection.
Freedom of SpeechAugust 10, 2024
Indian podcasters chat during a recording in New Delhi

Why are podcasts so popular in India?

With at least 57.6 million monthly listeners, India is the world's third-largest consumer market for podcasts.
SocietyAugust 5, 202402:00 min
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