Hacker News with Generative AI: Censorship

I wrote a book called "Crap Towns". It seemed funny at the time (samj.substack.com)
In 2003, I wrote a book called Crap Towns. It seemed funny at the time. But plenty of people say it would not be possible to publish it today. Is that a problem?
Humor, Writing, Censorship
231 points by url 9 hours ago | 150 comments
Government censorship comes to Bluesky, but not its third-party apps yet (techcrunch.com)
Government censorship has found its way to Bluesky, but there’s currently a loophole thanks to how the social network is structured.
Social Media, Censorship, Government Regulation, Technology
9 points by pessimizer 13 hours ago | 0 comments
News Is Blocked on Meta's Feeds in Canada. Here's What Fills the Void (nytimes.com)
Hyperpartisan and misleading content from popular right-wing pages such as Canada Proud is thriving on Facebook as the election nears.
Social Media, Censorship, Elections, Canada, News
29 points by bko 2 days ago | 41 comments
Manufactured consensus on x.com (rook2root.co)
Influential users and recommendation algorithm design quietly shape what people see, what gains attention, and what gets silenced.
Social Media, Censorship, Algorithmic Bias
313 points by cogitovirus 2 days ago | 236 comments
Netflix CEO: Not in China because no show or episode passed Censorship Board (indiewire.com)
If you think there’s seemingly no one who doesn’t have a Netflix account or who hasn’t seen “Squid Game,” there’s about 1.4 billion people in China who haven’t signed up, and the streamer’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos is just fine with that.
Netflix, China, Censorship, Streaming Services
7 points by samspenc 2 days ago | 0 comments
They Criticized Musk on X. Then Their Reach Collapsed (nytimes.com)
They Criticized Musk on X. Then Their Reach Collapsed.
Social Media, Censorship, Elon Musk, Twitter
29 points by perihelions 3 days ago | 2 comments
Rare and Banned Indonesian Books (vercel.app)
Koleksi kami diperlengkapi oleh organisasi lain atas seijin mereka, di antaranya adalah commons.wikimedia.org, catatannusantara.com, tengkuputeh.com, tapol.org, dan ulmwp.org.
Indonesia, Books, Censorship, Rare Books
6 points by bramadityaw 5 days ago | 0 comments
How Thai authorities use online doxxing to suppress dissent (citizenlab.ca)
A sustained, coordinated social media harassment and doxxing campaign – which we codenamed JUICYJAM – targeting the pro-democracy movement in Thailand has run uninterrupted, and unchallenged, since at least August 2020.
Human Rights, Thailand, Censorship, Social Media, Politics
207 points by gnabgib 5 days ago | 182 comments
Bluesky restricts access to 72 accounts in Turkey amid government pressure (turkishminute.com)
Bluesky has restricted access to 72 accounts and one post in Turkey, marking a shift for the decentralized social media platform that had previously resisted government censorship, the Stockholm Center for Freedom reported, citing a report by the Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD).
Social Media, Censorship, Turkey, Government
12 points by doener 6 days ago | 2 comments
Elon Musk Cuts Funding for Internet Archive (msn.com)
Elon Musk's DOGE has cut finding to the American nonprofit Internet Archive, which was busy archiving websites targeted by Trump.
Elon Musk, Internet Archive, Nonprofit Organizations, Funding, Censorship
39 points by stasa 6 days ago | 6 comments
No Comment from Bluesky on Its Censorship of 72 Turkish Users (mastodon.online)
Censorship, Social Media, Twitter Alternatives, Turkey
14 points by doener 7 days ago | 8 comments
Texas school district bans Virginia state flag and seal over naked breast (theguardian.com)
Virginia’s state flag and seal, depicting the Roman goddess Virtus standing over a slain tyrant, her drooping toga exposing her left breast, has been banned from younger students in a Texas school district.
Politics, Education, Censorship, Art
35 points by sandebert 7 days ago | 16 comments
Liz Truss to launch her own 'uncensorable' social media platform (thetimes.com)
Social Media, Censorship, Politics, UK
9 points by Tomte 8 days ago | 6 comments
OpenDNS Quits Belgium Under Threat of Piracy Blocks or Fines of €100K per Day (torrentfreak.com)
In a brief statement citing a court order in Belgium but providing no other details, Cisco says that its OpenDNS service is no longer available to users in Belgium.
OpenDNS, Belgium, Piracy, Censorship, Legal Issues
12 points by akyuu 8 days ago | 1 comments
Trump admin accused of censoring NIH's top expert on ultra-processed foods (arstechnica.com)
Kevin Hall, a prominent nutrition expert who led influential studies on ultra-processed foods, has resigned from his long-held position at the National Institutes of Health, alleging censorship of his research by top aides of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Politics, Health, Nutrition, Research, Censorship
26 points by pmags 8 days ago | 5 comments
Meta whistleblower alleges company worked with China on censorship (bbc.com)
A Meta whistleblower told US senators on Wednesday that the company undermined national security in order to build a $18 billion business in China.
Meta, Censorship, China, National Security, Business
8 points by doener 9 days ago | 0 comments
Seth Rogen's Trump Jokes Are Edited Out of Awards Broadcast (nytimes.com)
Organizers of the 2025 Breakthrough Prize ceremony, sometimes called the “Oscars of Science,” cut Seth Rogen’s jokes about President Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of Health and Human Services, from the broadcast it posted on YouTube.
Celebrities, Politics, Censorship, Awards, Science
10 points by josefresco 9 days ago | 2 comments
'Why would he take such a risk?' My censor and me (theguardian.com)
Online dissent is a serious crime in China. So why did a Weibo censor help me publish posts critical of the Communist party?
China, Censorship, Journalism, Politics, Social Media
39 points by calcifer 9 days ago | 14 comments
Seth Rogen Speaks Truth to Billionaires, Gets Censored for It (kottke.org)
For the past 11 years, the Breakthrough Prize awards have “celebrated outstanding scientific achievements, honoring scientists driving remarkable discoveries in gene editing, human diseases, the search for the fundamental laws of the Universe and pure mathematics”.
Celebrities, Censorship, Science, Awards
219 points by rendx 9 days ago | 52 comments
Federal Government's Growing Banned Words List Is Chilling Act of Censorship (pen.org)
A growing list of words and materials are being scrubbed from government websites and documents in an attempt by the Trump administration to remove all references not only to diversity, equity and inclusion, but also to climate change, vaccines, and a host of other topics.
Censorship, Government, Politics, Language
24 points by nialse 10 days ago | 10 comments
As Columbia Folds, Harvard Shows What Institutional Courage Looks Like (techdirt.com)
The first few months of the Trump administration have seen a quick divergence between those who are quick to bend the knee to unconstitutional, authoritarian, censorial demands from Donald Trump, and those with the spine to actually stand up and say “fuck that.”
Politics, Education, Censorship
12 points by beardyw 11 days ago | 3 comments
It's easier than ever to de-censor videos (jeffgeerling.com)
Last month I asked people to hack part of my YouTube video, specifically to de-pixelate the contents of a folder I had pixelated starting at the 4:57 mark.
Video Editing, Censorship, Hacking, YouTube
386 points by DamonHD 11 days ago | 158 comments
Ask HN: Why do DOGE stories never make it to the frontpage? (ycombinator.com)
This morning I saw a news story that seemed pretty important for tech workers to be aware of [1]. I went to submit, and I was taken to a page where the post was already marked as "flagged" despite having 400+ upvotes in the 4 hours since original submission. However, the post had been flagged, so I was unable to see it on the front page.
Hacker News, Censorship, Cryptocurrency, Dogecoin
16 points by Kapura 11 days ago | 11 comments
Meta whistleblower alleges company worked with China on censorship (bbc.com)
A Meta whistleblower told US senators on Wednesday that the company undermined national security in order to build a $18 billion business in China.
Meta, Censorship, China, National Security, Business
7 points by eloisius 11 days ago | 1 comments
N. Korean smartphones add screenshot function with notable exceptions (dailynk.com)
North Korean smartphones have added a screenshot function, though it doesn’t work with certain content or applications related to the country’s leaders.
North Korea, Smartphones, Censorship, Technology
14 points by giuliomagnifico 11 days ago | 2 comments
North Dakota Lawmakers Pass Bill Restricting Library Books Deemed Obscene (nytimes.com)
North Dakota lawmakers narrowly passed a bill on Monday that would require most libraries in the state to keep material deemed sexually explicit in areas that are difficult for minors to access.
Politics, Censorship, Libraries, Book Bans
15 points by duxup 11 days ago | 1 comments
India to Consider Blocking Wikipedia (hindustantimes.com)
The Maharashtra police’s cyber cell has written to the central government requesting it to block Wikipedia and Proton Mail due to their “repeated non-compliance” with the Information Technology Act despite being sent “multiple legal notices and warnings” regarding objectionable content and misuse for serious criminal activities.
India, Wikipedia, Censorship, Law Enforcement, Information Technology
9 points by argilla 12 days ago | 0 comments
Access to GitHub restricted for (part of) mainland China (github.com/orgs)
Starting this morning (April 13, 2025, UTC+8), I am unable to access GitHub without a proxy:
China, GitHub, Access Restrictions, Censorship
24 points by dreamingincode 13 days ago | 4 comments
Leaked data reveals Israeli govt campaign to remove pro-Palestine posts on Meta (dropsitenews.com)
Leaked Data Reveals Massive Israeli Campaign to Remove Pro-Palestine Posts on Facebook and Instagram
Israel, Social Media, Censorship, Politics, Palestine
1214 points by jbegley 15 days ago | 962 comments
Meta whistleblower alleges company worked with China on censorship (bbc.com)
A Meta whistleblower told US senators on Wednesday that the company undermined national security in order to build a $18 billion business in China.
Meta, Censorship, China, National Security, Business
7 points by makaimc 16 days ago | 3 comments