On Censorship, and the ‘Third Person Effect’

The phrase ‘information is the currency of democracy’ is often incorrectly accredited to Thomas Jefferson, and while we may not know the true origins of these words, it may only be now, in this day and age, that we are beginning to understand their significance.
Censorship, defined simply as the suppression of ideas and information on the basis that they are offensive or objectionable, is dangerously prevalent within modern day media and communications. In fact, only 24% of global internet users have complete freedom on the internet. While only two-thirds of users live in countries where criticism of the government, military or ruling family is subject to censorship, the selective removal of certain content is active in every single country on Earth as we speak. But why? Since when was potentially offensive speech considered far more harmful than the forceful suppression of valid ideas? Are internal biases preventing lawmakers and government officials from seeing the increasing dangers of censorship and restriction of information and ideas?
The Third Person Effect is the overestimation of the influence of problematic media on the attitudes and behaviours of others. Simply put, it’s the belief that others are more negatively impacted by certain content than you are yourself, that you stand alone in your indifference to persuasive or extreme messages. Studies have been done that prove the existence of this effect , where audiences are shown extreme material and asked about their understanding of its impacts on themselves and the wider audience. When questioned, every single person states that while they themselves are unaffected by the content, they believe that many other people exposed to it are probably very negatively impacted. There is a consistent belief in a demographic of those with ‘more impressionable minds’. In reality, this demographic simply does not exist, and extreme and persuasive media effects us as a society far less than we believe it does.
Hate speech and censorship are no doubt very imminent topics, with the recent news about the removal of certain controversial literature from high school reading lists, to accusations of the censorship of conservative users on social media platforms. With the depth and abundance of information available to us in the Digital Age, the Third Person Effect could easily lead us to overvalue the scale at which this content effects the individuals, just like me and you, accessing and consuming it every day. The overwhelming desire to control the flow of these thoughts and ideas is quickly becoming dangerous to our human rights.
In fact, the censorship of hate speech is often referred to as ‘the cure worse than the disease’. While the spread of hateful ideas and ideologies is undoubtedly undermining the safety, equality and dignity of many individuals and groups, there is an argument that the concept of censorship contradicts the very foundations of our society. It is also important to remember that the unrestricted circulation of ideas stemming from a wealth of backgrounds, experiences, political, social, ethical and economical stand points is what allows us to function as a democracy. Increasing amounts of censorship encouraged by the Third Person Effect is beginning to impede on the democratic nature of the internet, and quashing opportunity for open discussion and critical thinking. At the end of the day, our essential entitlement as members of an advanced society lie within our right to freedom of speech and expression, freedom of information, and most of all freedom of thoughts and ideas — the freedoms that are being denied to us by censorship under the pretence of protection of those who are supposedly more suggestible and vulnerable than ourselves.
How can we combat dangerous levels of censorship that are threatening our freedoms online?
- Spread the word yourself about how governments are negatively impacting their population base by restricting the flow of information on the internet.
- Educate yourself about the biases and misconceptions such as the Third Person Effect that lead to unnecessary censorship.
- Urge governments to be more accountable and request through your political representatives for more transparency.
- Withdraw your support from businesses that are lobbying local governments for the right to compromise your privacy or restrict the freedom of the internet.

