"This is an unprecedented move in Western democracies to block specific Internet sites—and is a worrying progression that they are flirting with the idea of censoring the Internet as a means of crowd control," Proton VPN's spokesperson told me.

It's really not. For example the UK has blocked rt.com for years now, and many other sites.

[–] Joncash2@lemmy.ml 6 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

Except by your own argument it really is. The UK has blocked many sites for many reasons. However, none of those reasons are for crowd control. Your example is ironically proof of the statement. This is the first time a western nation has banned media for the explicit purpose of quelling a protest and suppressing speech. Your example is a government banning a site not to quell a protest or to suppress speech, but instead because of a governmental disagreement between two nations. Now which one you think is valid for suppressing speech is a totally different question, only that they are two separate and completely different reasons.

[–] hackerwacker@lemmy.ml 4 points 6 months ago

This is an unprecedented move in Western democracies to block specific Internet sites

Claim 1

and is a worrying progression that they are flirting with the idea of censoring the Internet as a means of crowd control

Claim 2

I'm talking about claim 1

Hope you get help with your reading comprehension problems.

[–] Link@rentadrunk.org 4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

RT.com is not blocked in the UK.

[–] hackerwacker@lemmy.ml 4 points 6 months ago

Yes it is.