[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/04\/29\/censorship-evolution-of-the-web\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/04\/29\/censorship-evolution-of-the-web\/","headline":"How censorship is shaping the evolution of the web","name":"How censorship is shaping the evolution of the web","description":"It can seem \u2013 not without reason \u2013 that my parent\u2019s generation thought and did more about civil liberties, censorship and The Man than we ever will. In most of the developed world, the fight seems to have gone out of people. The outrage and righteous fury is still there, but instead of getting physical […]","datePublished":"2016-04-29","dateModified":"2022-07-13","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/jamie-anderson\/#Person","name":"Jamie Anderson","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/jamie-anderson\/","identifier":119,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/249ae804963762332acd20e644bfe865782bee3d64ee223d5dd6a28e548b47b5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/249ae804963762332acd20e644bfe865782bee3d64ee223d5dd6a28e548b47b5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/thumbnail-accbe41baeed9ae4089f17f73a8a3192.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/thumbnail-accbe41baeed9ae4089f17f73a8a3192.png","height":370,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/04\/29\/censorship-evolution-of-the-web\/","video":[null,{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MJnlTLYYkk4#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MJnlTLYYkk4","name":"Junior doctors on Lewisham picket line: 'Devalued, demoralised, determined' | This is the NHS","description":"Junior doctors on the picket line outside Lewisham hospital in south-east London on Tuesday say they have mixed feelings about going on strike, but believe passionately in their cause. \nSubscribe to The Guardian \u25ba http:\/\/is.gd\/subscribeguardian\nThey are joined by consultants and nurses and have plenty of support from passing traffic. \n\nPlease donate to the Guardian and Observer's Christmas charity appeal 2015 \u25ba http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/society\/guardian-charity-appeal-2015\n\nGuardian website \u25ba http:\/\/is.gd\/guardianhome\n\nSuggested videos:\n\u25ba \n\u25ba \n\nGuardian playlists:\n\nComment is Free \u25ba http:\/\/is.gd\/cifplaylist\nGuardian Docs \u25ba http:\/\/is.gd\/guardiandocs\nGuardian Features \u25ba https:\/\/goo.gl\/JThOzd \nGuardian Animations & Explanations \u25bahttp:\/\/is.gd\/explainers\nGuardian Investigations \u25ba http:\/\/is.gd\/guardianinvestigations\nThe Global Migration Crisis \u25ba http:\/\/is.gd\/RefugeeCrisis\nAnywhere but Westminster \u25ba https:\/\/goo.gl\/rgH1ri\nCasetteboy remix the news \u25ba http:\/\/ow.ly\/TUqey\n\nMore Guardian videos:\n\nWe Walk Together \u25ba http:\/\/bit.ly\/WeWalkTogetherFilm\nEveryday racism - Akala \u25ba http:\/\/bit.ly\/akalacif\nPretty Radical \u25ba http:\/\/is.gd\/PrettyRadical1\nCapitalism is failing - Paul Mason \u25ba http:\/\/is.gd\/MasonCif\nMy life as a female bodybuilder \u25ba https:\/\/goo.gl\/4U4jHt\nAfter Banksy: the parkour guide to Gaza \u25ba http:\/\/ow.ly\/TUpgj\nIf I Die On Mars \u25ba http:\/\/is.gd\/IfIDieOnMars\nRevenge Porn: Chrissy Chambers and her search for justice \u25ba http:\/\/ow.ly\/TUoOs\nMos Def force fed in Gitmo procedure \u25ba http:\/\/is.gd\/mosdef\nEdward Snowden interview \u25ba http:\/\/is.gd\/snowdeninterview2014\nBangladeshi Sex Workers take steroids \u25ba http:\/\/is.gd\/sexworkers\n\nOther Guardian channels on YouTube:\n\nGuardian Football \u25ba http:\/\/is.gd\/guardianfootball\nGuardian Music \u25ba http:\/\/is.gd\/guardianYTmusic\nGuardian Australia \u25ba http:\/\/is.gd\/guardianaustralia\nGuardian Tech \u25ba http:\/\/is.gd\/guardiantech\nGuardian Culture \u25ba http:\/\/is.gd\/guardianculture\nGuardian Wires \u25ba http:\/\/is.gd\/guardianwires\nGuardian Food \u25ba http:\/\/is.gd\/guardianfood","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/MJnlTLYYkk4\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/MJnlTLYYkk4\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/MJnlTLYYkk4\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/MJnlTLYYkk4\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/MJnlTLYYkk4\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2016-01-12T13:27:36+00:00","duration":"PT4M35S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MJnlTLYYkk4","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCHpw8xwDNhU9gdohEcJu4aA#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCHpw8xwDNhU9gdohEcJu4aA","name":"The Guardian","description":"The Guardian brings you news and documentaries about current global issues.\n\nThe Guardian has been providing high-impact, independent journalism since 1821, always free from commercial and political influence. Help sustain our future by making a contribution today \u25ba https:\/\/bit.ly\/2Zyt72O\n\nThe Guardian YouTube network:\n\nGuardian News \u25ba https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@guardiannews\nGuardian Australia \u25ba https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@guardianaustralia\nGuardian Football \u25ba https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@guardianfootball\nFootball Weekly \u25ba https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@footballweeklypodcast\nGuardian Sport \u25ba https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@guardiansport\nIt's Complicated \u25ba https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@itscomplicated\nGuardian Live \u25ba https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@guardianlive\n","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/nic8lu6MJQg0LQ093PiOfzrCd4e6BefWdO92sbOgTO_dCkZfWfVbH4_shpUDRe-tuPYeeeav6Q=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MJnlTLYYkk4#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MJnlTLYYkk4#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MJnlTLYYkk4&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MJnlTLYYkk4#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":21922}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MJnlTLYYkk4#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":134}]},null],"about":[{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/marketing\/content-marketing\/","name":"Content Marketing","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Content_marketing","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q558685"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/marketing\/customer-engagement-marketing\/","name":"Customer Engagement","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_engagement","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q5196451"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/marketing\/","name":"Marketing","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Marketing","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q39809"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/marketing\/social-media\/","name":"Social Media","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Social_media","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q202833"]}],"wordCount":661,"keywords":["Customer Engagement","Marketing","Social Media"],"articleBody":"It can seem \u2013 not without reason \u2013 that my parent\u2019s generation thought and did more about civil liberties, censorship and The Man than we ever will. In most of the developed world, the fight seems to have gone out of people. The outrage and righteous fury is still there, but instead of getting physical our first stop is usually the web.Here\u2019s where the people have the power. We\u2019ll shame wrongdoers by telling the world about their misdemeanors, sign online petitions, and post daily our outrage to Facebook, but we\u2019re probably less likely to actually leave the house and join a picket line to support a cause.When what you\u2019re saying comes under focus, the vox populi is the only one that counts \u2013 and woe betide you if you get it wrong or overstep the mark. Ask any comedian from Lenny Bruce to Chris Rock, the audience is barometer, judge and jury. If you cross the line from obscene to offensive, you\u2019ll soon find out, and you don\u2019t even have to say a rude word to do it.      Sustainability in fashion: Industry teeters on ethical catwalk                Sustainability and fashion appear to be on opposing catwalks destined for collision. Fashion is a $2.5 trillion industry, producing 10% of global carbon emissions, 20% of global wastewater, and vast biodiversity loss. Consumers are demanding change, forcing sustainability in fashion as a requirement, not a trend.      If you\u2019re going use social media, then embrace it. Listen to what your customers have to say \u2013 don\u2019t shut them downThis is exactly what I love about social media. You can go as far as the rest of the users allow you to, but there\u2019s a cut off. It\u2019s largely self-regulating. If you don\u2019t want to see certain language or rhetoric, don\u2019t go to sites that welcome them. Thanks to the \u2018block\u2019 button, you can rant and rave until you\u2019re blue in the face, but if I\u2019ve chosen to ignore you, I simply won\u2019t see it.Censorship on top of this is not only unnecessary, but heavy-handed and ultimately self-defeating.For companies and individuals alike, it also shows a certain lack of robustness, a fragility. A mate of mine had his Twitter account suspended recently after he insulted David Cameron over a certain tabloid rumor. But all that does is make whoever handles the Tory social media look weak and petty for complaining in the first place \u2013 and tells my mate he scored a point. When you respond to a troll, you feed it. It\u2019s like Vito Corleone says in The Godfather: \u201cNever tell anyone outside the family what you\u2019re thinking.\u201dSo how should you handle an attack? Try just rising above it. I see more and more cases of companies effectively censoring their social media. It\u2019s a small thing, but this micromanagement is insidious and dangerous \u2013 and lacks authenticity. To remind you of \u201csticks and stones\u201d is a tad simplistic, but I think we can afford to have confidence in our audiences to spot the idiot in the room.Recently I wrote a LinkedIn post that touched on politics. Nothing too hairy or controversial, but while comments were almost entirely positive (or at least the argument was civilized), a couple of bad apples soured the mood and some pretty inflammatory things were said.The audience did a great job of regulating the debate, but when it moved from forthright opinions to abuse, I simply took the piece down. It\u2019s not something I did lightly, but I didn\u2019t need to get my hands dirty only deleting certain comments, or take it personally and have people blocked. The Big Bad Wolf isn\u2019t half as scary when you\u2019re the one with the axe.  In 2023, customer loyalty dropped 13%.In 2024, it fell by 10%.Is your brand retaining \u2013 or repelling \u2013 customers? Get the data + details on how to keep consumers loyal in this REPORT. "},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2016","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"04","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/\/04\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"29","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/\/04\/\/29\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"How censorship is shaping the evolution of the web","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2016\/04\/29\/censorship-evolution-of-the-web\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]