#cultural-purge

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#iran
World news
fromwww.aljazeera.com
7 hours ago

Iran's Infowar: Lego, AI and ever tightening control

The Iranian government employs innovative online strategies for international PR while enforcing strict internet controls domestically.
Education
fromwww.dw.com
2 days ago

School's out in Iran: No phone, no internet, no classes

Iran has shifted to online classes nationwide due to ongoing tensions and damage from airstrikes, affecting all schools and grades.
World news
fromwww.aljazeera.com
2 weeks ago

How US, Israel are waging a war on Iranian culture, education

US and Israel's attacks on Iran aim to destroy Iranian cultural identity and heritage, resulting in significant damage to educational and cultural sites.
World news
fromwww.aljazeera.com
1 month ago

War spirals as information control tightens

The war on Iran has escalated with increased leadership assassinations, a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and strikes on energy infrastructure.
World news
fromwww.aljazeera.com
7 hours ago

Iran's Infowar: Lego, AI and ever tightening control

The Iranian government employs innovative online strategies for international PR while enforcing strict internet controls domestically.
Education
fromwww.dw.com
2 days ago

School's out in Iran: No phone, no internet, no classes

Iran has shifted to online classes nationwide due to ongoing tensions and damage from airstrikes, affecting all schools and grades.
World news
fromwww.aljazeera.com
2 weeks ago

How US, Israel are waging a war on Iranian culture, education

US and Israel's attacks on Iran aim to destroy Iranian cultural identity and heritage, resulting in significant damage to educational and cultural sites.
World news
fromwww.aljazeera.com
1 month ago

War spirals as information control tightens

The war on Iran has escalated with increased leadership assassinations, a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and strikes on energy infrastructure.
Social justice
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 day ago

Scholars, writers and artists defy ban on Palestine Action in letter to judges

Over 130 prominent figures support Palestine Action against a ban deemed unlawful under the Terrorism Act.
#internet-censorship
fromQueerty
3 weeks ago
SF LGBT

These LGBTQ+ books are being banned & people are making noise so it doesn't go unnoticed - Queerty

fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago
Privacy technologies

Chinese technology underpins Iran's internet control, report finds

Iran's internet control relies heavily on Chinese surveillance technologies and infrastructure, enabling near-total blackouts and refined censorship that facilitate human rights abuses.
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago
World news

Internet blackout is tool of desperate regime to isolate Iranians, say experts

Iran implemented a near-total internet blackout following military strikes, primarily through intentional government action rather than infrastructure damage, to prevent coordinated opposition and maintain regime control.
SF LGBT
fromQueerty
3 weeks ago

These LGBTQ+ books are being banned & people are making noise so it doesn't go unnoticed - Queerty

404 Day highlights the issue of Internet censorship in public libraries and schools, particularly affecting access to constitutionally protected websites.
World news
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Internet blackout is tool of desperate regime to isolate Iranians, say experts

Iran implemented a near-total internet blackout following military strikes, primarily through intentional government action rather than infrastructure damage, to prevent coordinated opposition and maintain regime control.
#lgbtq-rights
Education
fromwww.kqed.org
4 days ago

The American Library Association's 11 Most Challenged Books of 2025

A significant percentage of book challenges originate from government officials and library administrators, with minimal involvement from parents or individual users.
Books
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 days ago

US saw record high of 5,668 books banned in libraries in 2025, says agency

Record high of 5,668 books banned in US libraries in 2025, with significant challenges targeting LGBTQ+ and BIPOC representations.
World politics
fromwww.dw.com
4 days ago

Amnesty International paints a grim picture

Human rights violations are increasing globally, with perpetrators often unpunished, according to Amnesty International's report for 2025.
Europe politics
fromwww.aljazeera.com
5 days ago

Who will shape the global agenda the left or far right?

Left-leaning leaders in Barcelona and far-right figures in Milan represent opposing political perspectives on democracy and regulation in Europe.
UK news
fromwww.bbc.com
1 week ago

Arrests over Persian media offices arson attempt

Three arrests made after an attempted arson attack on a Persian media organization in north-west London, with no injuries reported.
#censorship
fromTruthout
6 days ago

Palestinians Battle the Algorithms of Israeli Censorship and Surveillance

The Palestinian internet digitally encapsulates the contradictions of anti-colonial resistance in the neoliberal era, serving as both an instrument for collective interconnection and a site of suppression.
World news
Europe politics
fromTruthout
6 days ago

Orban is Ousted After 16 Years as Hungarians Reject Authoritarian Rule

Viktor Orbán's electoral defeat marks a significant shift in Hungary's political landscape, with implications for democratic movements globally.
Cryptocurrency
fromnews.bitcoin.com
1 week ago

Scarcity, Surveillance, and the Return of Hard Power Week In Review

Bitcoin remains above $71,000, indicating institutional demand and potential for broader adoption amid macroeconomic developments and a 4-year cycle breakout test.
fromElectronic Frontier Foundation
1 week ago

Digital Hopes, Real Power: The Rise of Network Shutdowns

In 2024 alone, authorities imposed 304 internet shutdowns across 54 countries - the highest number ever recorded. This reflects a growing trend of governments treating connectivity as a weapon.
World politics
LGBT
fromLGBTQ Nation
4 days ago

These 10 oft-banned LGBTQ+ children's books teach powerful lessons of love, community, & identity - LGBTQ Nation

At least 19 states restrict LGBTQ+ concepts in schools, leading to the banning of children's books that promote queer-inclusive lessons.
Books
fromBig Think
1 week ago

4 classics that were basically written as propaganda

Authors often write novels to promote ideologies and influence public opinion through emotional appeals and symbolism.
Arts
fromArtnet News
1 week ago

Is Chinese Censorship Reaching Inside Britain's Museums? | Artnet News

London's V&A museum altered exhibition catalogues due to Chinese censorship, raising concerns about foreign influence on U.K. cultural institutions.
fromThe Atlantic
1 week ago

Illiberalism Is Not Inevitable

The defeat of Viktor Orbán required not just an ordinary election campaign but the construction of a broad, diverse, and patriotic grassroots social movement, changing politics around the world.
Europe politics
fromRadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
4 weeks ago

Russia Bans Oscar-Winning Documentary 'Mr. Nobody Against Putin'

The film follows Talankin in his job at a school in the poor mining town of Karabash in the Chelyabinsk region, showing how the Russian government indoctrinates students with pro-war messages.
Independent films
fromLGBTQ Nation
4 weeks ago

The far-right's dehumanization of trans people is similar to the Nazi's treatment of Jewish people - LGBTQ Nation

Dehumanization, as a psychological and socio-political process, represents one of the most destructive phenomena in human history. It involves the denial of attributes that define individuals or social groups as human, thereby devaluing their moral status and legitimizing violence and cruelty against them.
Right-wing politics
Privacy technologies
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 weeks ago

Australia wants to sell its social media ban to the world but are the measures even working?

Age assurance technology is ineffective, with many teens bypassing age verification and platforms failing to enforce compliance with the social media ban.
#belarus
LGBT
fromLGBTQ Nation
3 weeks ago

Belarus' parliament outlaws LGBTQ+ "propaganda" - LGBTQ Nation

Belarus has enacted a law criminalizing LGBTQ+ propaganda, following Russia's example, with severe penalties for violations.
LGBT
fromLGBTQ Nation
3 weeks ago

Belarus' parliament outlaws LGBTQ+ "propaganda" - LGBTQ Nation

Belarus has enacted a law criminalizing LGBTQ+ propaganda, following Russia's example, with severe penalties for violations.
Social justice
fromwww.aljazeera.com
4 weeks ago

Australia's post-Bondi crackdown accused of targeting pro-Palestinian voices

New hate speech laws in Australia may suppress peaceful protest and criticism of Israel, raising concerns among human rights groups.
World news
fromwww.npr.org
3 weeks ago

China's Communist Party investigates ex-Xinjiang leader Ma Xingrui

Former Xinjiang party chief Ma Xingrui is under investigation for suspected violations of discipline and law amid ongoing scrutiny of China's treatment of ethnic minorities.
Arts
fromHyperallergic
2 weeks ago

Saad Khan Archives the Detritus of Censored Culture

Khajistan is an archive preserving censored media from South Asia to the Maghreb, founded by Saad Khan in 2019.
Independent films
fromVulture
1 month ago

Two Prosecutors, a Bracing Tale of Stalinist Terror

Sergei Loznitsa's film Two Prosecutors blends documentary rigor with narrative storytelling, exploring themes of justice during Stalin's purges.
Europe politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 weeks ago

Can Europe's public service media survive attacks by the far right?

Political conflicts and management changes in public broadcasting reflect broader trends in Italy and France towards control and privatization.
Books
fromwww.dw.com
1 month ago

Salman Rushdie on why tyrants fear artists

Salman Rushdie remains optimistic and continues to write after surviving an assassination attempt, exploring themes of life and death in his latest work.
Social justice
fromTruthout
1 month ago

Why Libraries Matter in a Fascist Moment

Public libraries are vital infrastructure enabling free access to knowledge, gathering spaces, and shared intellectual life that authoritarianism seeks to eliminate.
Film
fromTruthout
1 month ago

In Era of Book Bans and War on History, Sinners Reveals What US Tries to Forget

The film Sinners depicts a Black protagonist defending his community against the KKK while cradling his newborn, resonating with the author's discovery of ancestral connections to enslaved people on a Mississippi plantation and the blues tradition of resistance.
NYC parents
fromThe Atlantic
1 month ago

Today's Atlantic Trivia: Authoritarianism

The Madres de la Plaza de Mayo, a group of mothers whose children disappeared during Argentina's dictatorship, continue protesting weekly in Buenos Aires nearly five decades after their movement began in 1977.
fromwww.aljazeera.com
1 month ago

The hidden battlefield: Censorship in the IsraelIran war

As missiles strike across Israel and Iran, what are we really allowed to see? With strict censorship and limited access, journalists and the public are seeing only part of the story: Who decides what information gets out, and what does that mean for truth in a war affecting millions?
Media industry
Right-wing politics
fromDefector
1 month ago

A List Of Better Ways To Experience The Frisson Of Transgression Than Becoming A Fascist | Defector

A woman attracted to right-wing ideology for its transgressive appeal discovers the movement actually seeks to restrict rights from people like her, prompting her to seek a new ideological home.
fromianVisits
1 month ago

Official announcement: It's time to end the tyranny of officially

Once upon a time, adding official to an announcement served a purpose. It distinguished fact from rumour, press release from pub chat. Sensible. Helpful. Civilised. But in recent years, the word has gone rogue. Nothing can simply happen anymore. It must be officially announced.
Media industry
Philosophy
fromApaonline
2 months ago

'Totalitarian' Technologies and the Transformation of the Political World: A Radical Cold War Critique

Modern Cold War technology was viewed by many political theorists as inherently totalitarian, shaping society's structures, enabling propaganda, control, and genocide, not merely neutral tools.
World politics
fromwww.aljazeera.com
1 month ago

The battle on the propaganda front intensifies

Iran employs asymmetric economic tactics against U.S.-Israeli military superiority while misinformation complicates public understanding of the conflict.
Miscellaneous
fromwww.npr.org
2 months ago

Europeans push back at US over claim they face 'civilizational erasure'

Europe is not facing civilizational erasure; it defends human rights, fosters prosperity, and remains an attractive club for potential members.
Books
fromwww.amny.com
1 month ago

Banned Books: New York writers and educators talk about the dangerous impacts of censorship on literature | amNewYork

Author Abdi Nazemian's young adult novel 'Like a Love Story' faces banning efforts by conservative groups who misrepresent its content about queer identity and AIDS history.
NYC LGBT
fromLGBTQ Nation
2 months ago

Trump wants to purge LGBTQ+ history from public life. But some things just can't be erased. - LGBTQ Nation

Pride flags line the fence of the Stonewall National Monument on Christopher Street during Pride Month in New York City.
#authoritarianism
Privacy professionals
fromBusiness Insider
1 month ago

The Chinese government's ChatGPT account revealed a global operation to silence dissidents

China operates large-scale coordinated inauthentic campaigns using hundreds of staff and thousands of fake accounts across social media platforms to silence political critics globally.
Germany news
fromThe Local Germany
2 months ago

UN expert warns of 'shrinking space' for free speech in Germany

Hate speech is rising in Germany, and some government counter-measures risk violating international human rights standards, creating uncertainty, stigma, and self-censorship.
Russo-Ukrainian War
fromenglish.elpais.com
1 month ago

The victory of a fighter' against Moscow's child indoctrination machine

Russia has forcibly deported or removed over 19,500 Ukrainian children since 2022, subjecting them to systematic indoctrination and brainwashing as part of a campaign to destroy Ukraine's future.
Miscellaneous
fromwww.dw.com
2 months ago

Russia to convert Gulag museum into Nazi crimes memorial

Moscow is converting the Gulag History Museum into an exhibition emphasizing Nazi wartime crimes and Soviet victories after closing the Gulag-focused museum.
Higher education
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Only Nazis ban books': on the frontlines with students fighting Trump over higher education

Governor Ron DeSantis transformed New College from a liberal arts sanctuary into a conservative institution by replacing trustees, removing books, eliminating DEI programs, and restructuring campus facilities to align with his political agenda.
fromwww.npr.org
1 month ago

This tale of a Chicago school book ban was inspired by true events

Francie thought that all the books in the world were in that library and she had a plan about reading all the books in the world. I couldn't help but think of little Francie Nolan who, like Smith, grew up in the tenements of Brooklyn in the early 20th century and aimed, as a young girl, to read every book she could find as I tore through librarian Jarrett Dapier's debut young adult graphic novel, Wake Now in the Fire.
Arts
Books
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

Was I scared going back to China? No': Ai Weiwei on AI, western censorship and returning home

Ai Weiwei returned to China despite past detention and threats because he wanted to see his elderly mother and retained his Chinese passport.
fromNieman Lab
1 month ago

Iran's divided media landscape makes getting information during wartime even harder

Iran's media landscape is divided between outlets closely affiliated with the state and those considered reformist. State-aligned outlets include organizations such as Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Tasnim, Fars News, and Mehr News. These conservative outlets often promote narratives that support Iran's ruling clerical establishment.
World news
LGBT
fromwww.lgbtqnation.com
2 months ago

Russian man fined for "destroying family values" after posting old photo of Queen in drag

A Russian man was fined under anti-LGBT laws for posting a Queen photo in drag, with the court calling it promotion of non-traditional sexual relations.
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

The Most Dangerous Books in Society

A study found that reading banned books predicted civic engagement more strongly than personality traits. Reading banned books showed zero correlation with grades, violent crime, or nonviolent crime in adolescents. Reactance theory explains why censorship backfires: Restricted freedoms activate curiosity and thinking.
Books
#splinternet
Arts
fromOregon ArtsWatch * Arts & Culture News
1 month ago

A fake wedding, a hidden play, a censored story, a totalitarian state and 'A Mirror' * Oregon ArtsWatch

A Mirror is an immersive theater experience that transforms audiences into active participants in a clandestine wedding performance, best experienced without prior context or spoilers.
Arts
fromHyperallergic
2 months ago

The Importance of Making "Degenerate" Art

Art can be deliberately non-neutral and ethically engaged, refusing neutrality, civility, and institutional comfort to confront injustice and amplify marginalized voices.
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