Content moderation has become a critical topic across the globe. Unfortunately, it can still be difficult for the average person to understand the processes that go into content moderation, much less how to appeal decisions that those platforms make to censor content or accounts. To help fill this gap, we’re launching a resource for the research and advocacy communities—as well as the public at large—to learn more about the policies and practices of commercial content moderation and the phenomenon of platform censorship. The new version of “Tracking Global Online Censorship” at  https://www.onlinecensorship.org, provides in-depth information about how and why social media platforms remove users’ posts, how users can appeal these take down decisions, and how the practice affects freedom of expression all over the world. 

The site provides our own original research and commentary, and also curates content from key allies, popular publications, and other vetted sources. It includes detailed information on content moderation practices from each company, updated explanations of appeals processes for users, details on the laws that govern content moderation, and additional resources from partners and experts. 

Tracking Global Online Censorship, originally launched in 2012, was created as a joint project between EFF and Visualizing Impact and collected user experiences with content takedowns. In 2014 the project was awarded the Knight News Challenge for strengthening free expression and innovation on the internet. Since that time, public awareness of wrongful content takedowns has increased. We’re excited to transition from our original mission to serve as an information hub with original content and research from our allies around the world. The updated project was generously funded with a grant from the Swedish Postcode Foundation. To see more, visit https://www.onlinecensorship.org