eli5 what is the difference between censorship and redaction? when the government releases files for the public, they redact quite a bit of information. Isn’t that censorship?
In: 43
Censorship is telling people what they’re allowed to write or publish.
Redaction is withholding information.
If the govt controls the release of info about the war in Afghanistan, that’s redaction. If the govt tells you that you’re not allowed to write about Afghanistan (or tells you what you’re allowed to write), that’s censorship.
If you do it to yourself it’s not censorship. If the document is owned by the government, and the government withholds / blacks out part of the document, that is not censorship. That’s like saying if you ask me for my real name and I say no, is that censorship? If I want to tell you my name but someone else prevents me from doing it, that’s censorship. And really, it’s not technically censorship if it’s not the government doing it to you. I don’t care that wikipedia calls it self-censorship if you withhold something of your own, if it’s not potentially enforced through violent force of a government it’s not censorship, because an individual or non-governmental entity has no ability to deny your rights as a free person.
Post your real name and address in response to this message. You won’t? That’s censorship, you pinko commie nazi cow…
See what I mean?
Removing parts of a work (or the entire work) because those parts are (or could be) offensive to someone is censorship.
Removing parts of a work because those parts are, and should remain, secret, usually to protect someone’s privacy (or to protect national security) is redaction.
If I publish “John Doe of 123 Fake Street, f***** his neighbor’s wife” that’s censorship, because I covered the word “fucked” to avoid offending anyone.
If I publish “**** *** of ***************, fucked his neighbor’s wife” that’s redaction, because I removed the personally identifying information to protect John’s privacy (or to keep John from suing me for defamation.)
Someone else stated “words have specific meanings and it’s important not to conflate them”.
This is only partially true.
A more fundamental understanding is that words have *multiple* meanings, and that in practice they *are* conflated. It is helpful for communication to be more precise about what meaning you’re using – but it is incorrect to assume that this is actually already happening most of the time.
There is no central authority that dictates what a given word “correctly means”. Even those cultures and nations that *claim* to have such an authority don’t actually have one – because there’s nothing that a “language institute” can actually *do* to force people to use a given meaning.
So, to your specific question – unfortunately, the answer is “it depends”.
Some people will use “censorship” in one sense, some people in another. By some definitions, yes, that’s censorship. By other definitions, no, it’s not censorship. Many definitions of censorship also aren’t binary; something may be “a little bit censorship-like” or “very censorship-like”.
There exists a somewhat common definition that applies “censorship” only to acts by government entities, and a related and also common definition that applies it only to acts by external entities. But there are other definitions that are also frequently used. Many people will, in practice, use “censorship” to mean any situation where any communication is restricted for any reason. And the *actual* most common usage in practice is something to the effect of “a communication restriction *that I don’t agree with* is censorship”.
So, in practice, someone is most likely to call redaction “censorship” if they dislike or disagree with the reasons for the redaction; and is less likely to call it “censorship” if they like, agree with, or are neutral on the reasons for the redaction.
Removing parts of a work (or the entire work) because those parts are (or could be) offensive to someone is censorship.
Removing parts of a work because those parts are, and should remain, secret, usually to protect someone’s privacy (or to protect national security) is redaction.
If I publish “John Doe of 123 Fake Street, f***** his neighbor’s wife” that’s censorship, because I covered the word “fucked” to avoid offending anyone.
If I publish “**** *** of ***************, fucked his neighbor’s wife” that’s redaction, because I removed the personally identifying information to protect John’s privacy (or to keep John from suing me for defamation.)
Someone else stated “words have specific meanings and it’s important not to conflate them”.
This is only partially true.
A more fundamental understanding is that words have *multiple* meanings, and that in practice they *are* conflated. It is helpful for communication to be more precise about what meaning you’re using – but it is incorrect to assume that this is actually already happening most of the time.
There is no central authority that dictates what a given word “correctly means”. Even those cultures and nations that *claim* to have such an authority don’t actually have one – because there’s nothing that a “language institute” can actually *do* to force people to use a given meaning.
So, to your specific question – unfortunately, the answer is “it depends”.
Some people will use “censorship” in one sense, some people in another. By some definitions, yes, that’s censorship. By other definitions, no, it’s not censorship. Many definitions of censorship also aren’t binary; something may be “a little bit censorship-like” or “very censorship-like”.
There exists a somewhat common definition that applies “censorship” only to acts by government entities, and a related and also common definition that applies it only to acts by external entities. But there are other definitions that are also frequently used. Many people will, in practice, use “censorship” to mean any situation where any communication is restricted for any reason. And the *actual* most common usage in practice is something to the effect of “a communication restriction *that I don’t agree with* is censorship”.
So, in practice, someone is most likely to call redaction “censorship” if they dislike or disagree with the reasons for the redaction; and is less likely to call it “censorship” if they like, agree with, or are neutral on the reasons for the redaction.
Redaction is removing information that would be directly harmful to another, which the public doesn’t have a right to know. In my job I had to redact student documents that were being used by an outside assessment team. They needed to know what the student studied, but not the students name or social security number, etc. It’s about taking a document which is a mix of public and private information and making it appropriate for public consumption.
Censorship is removing information that the public does have a right to know, but the government doesn’t want them to know.
Redaction involves facts, censorship normally involves ideas.
Redaction is removing information that would be directly harmful to another, which the public doesn’t have a right to know. In my job I had to redact student documents that were being used by an outside assessment team. They needed to know what the student studied, but not the students name or social security number, etc. It’s about taking a document which is a mix of public and private information and making it appropriate for public consumption.
Censorship is removing information that the public does have a right to know, but the government doesn’t want them to know.
Redaction involves facts, censorship normally involves ideas.
Redaction is removing information that would be directly harmful to another, which the public doesn’t have a right to know. In my job I had to redact student documents that were being used by an outside assessment team. They needed to know what the student studied, but not the students name or social security number, etc. It’s about taking a document which is a mix of public and private information and making it appropriate for public consumption.
Censorship is removing information that the public does have a right to know, but the government doesn’t want them to know.
Redaction involves facts, censorship normally involves ideas.
Redaction is when YOU shut yourself up. Censorship is when SOMEONE ELSE shuts you up.
The government is shutting itself up, so it’s redaction.
Latest Answers