Combating Online Cultural Repression and Erasure

As marginalized ethnic, cultural or linguistic groups find their footing online, authoritarian governments have increasingly turned to online cultural repression and erasure as a tool of control.

PEN America is joining with community partners and activists to elevate the issue of online cultural repression, document and map trends and impacts on ethnic, cultural, and linguistic groups, and advocate for safeguards and strategies to combat digital cultural erasure.

What You Need to Know

Online cultural repression is an evolving phenomenon that refers to the targeted repression of cultural expression online, alongside the use of technical tactics to curtail cultural rights. 

Over the past five years, the number of jailed online commentators increased significantly, rising to 180 in 2023 from 80 in 2019, suggesting that more writers globally are at risk for their online expression.

Our first report in the Combating Online Cultural Repression and Erasure project is expected in 2025.

Experts