“Are we moving toward a world without truth? With the rise of social media, information bubbles and the possibilities of Deepfakes, we no longer live in a shared reality. How to proceed?
We are living in an “infocalypse”, says British disinformation expert Nina Schick. In her book “Deepfakes and the Infocalypse - What You Urgently Need to Know”, she outlines a society overwhelmed by too much information, where it is no longer possible to distinguish between “information” and “disinformation”.
With the advent of social media, various groups in our society tend to retreat more and more into their own ‘echo chambers.’ In these they experience their own 'subjective truth.’ This makes it increasingly difficult to reach a consensus on how the “real” world should be seen. A new effective and influential step in the spread of dis- and misinformation is the rise of synthetic media.”
In many countries, websites, social media and blogs are controlled by oppressive leaders. Young people, in particular, are forced to grow up in systems where their opinion is heavily manipulated by governmental disinformation campaigns.
But even where almost all media is blocked or controlled, the world’s most successful computer game is still accessible. Reporters Without Borders (@RSF_en) uses this loophole to bypass internet censorship to bring back the truth – within @Minecraft.
On March 12, 2020 the “World Day Against Cyber Censorship”, The Uncensored Library opened its doors. Providing access to independent information to young people around the world through a medium they can playfully interact with.
Journalists from five different countries now have a place to make their voices heard again, despite having been banned, jailed, exiled and even killed.
Their forbidden articles were republished in books within Minecraft, giving readers the chance to inform themselves about the real political situation in their countries and learn the importance of press freedom.
Let’s empower the next generation to stand up for their right to information and give them a powerful tool to fight oppressive leaders: knowledge. Together with the ever-expanding gaming community, we will show the world that the truth will never be silenced.
Support the fight against global cyber censorship.