Exposing online censorship
With the Blocked project we did groundbreaking research on the impact of web filters.
In 2014, with the hard work of our volunteer community we launched blocked.org.uk which tests whether filters are blocking a website.
So far we’ve tested over 100,000 sites and found that almost one in five are blocked by at least one ISP. The site has been key in revealing the harms of online filters – showing everything from watch shops to alcoholic support sites being blocked.
Related Campaigns
Check if your website is being blocked by filters
Our Blocked project aims to improve transparency about web blocking filters used by mobile phone companies and Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
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Digital censorship averted as UK shelves Copyright Directive
Nearly a year after passage of the EU Copyright Directive, which opened the door to automated upload filters that damage free speech, the UK Government decided not to implement it.
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Victory on Supreme Court web blocking judgement
Open Rights Group intervened in a legal challenge in which French jeweller Cartier sought court injunctions ordering ISPs to block websites which sell counterfeit Cartier products.
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Winning the right to parody
July 2014
Reform of outdated copyright laws has been a major campaign focus for ORG from day one.
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Announcing the Department of Dirty
With a professional comedy video highlighting what happens when you just want to look for classic Spotted Dick, we raised awareness of the problems caused by filtering the Internet in the UK.
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Challenging the Digital Economy Act
From 2010 – 2011 we fought against a law which proposed disconnecting whole households from the Internet on the basis of allegations of copyright infringement.
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Exterma-knit: Defending creativity
May 2008 – July 2008
ORG spearheaded resistance in the media, when BBC lawyers tried to shut down a knitting blogger who shared her Doctor Who cuddly Daleks and Ood designs on her site.
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