Mass Surveillance Forcing Writers Into Self-Censorship, Says PEN American Center Survey
Self-censorship among writers in liberal democracies is growing due to surveillance activities in the U.S. and Western Europe, said a PEN American Center survey released Monday. PEN commissioned the FDR Group to do the survey, which received 772 responses from…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
writers living in 50 counties. Thirty-six percent of those surveyed said freedom of expression “enjoys less protection” in the U.S. than in their home countries, said PEN. “Mass surveillance has also gravely damaged the United States’ reputation as a haven for free expression at home, and a champion of free expression abroad,” it said. Self-censorship among writers in liberal democracies is approaching levels “seen in non-democratic countries,” it said. “Writers are concerned that expressing certain views even privately or researching certain topics may lead to negative consequences,” said PEN.