Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information that is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient. It can be conducted by governments, private institutions, and other controlling bodies, and can be proposed and petitioned for by other groups or institutions. Censorship can also be carried out by individuals, such as authors or creators, who engage in self-censorship. In wartime, censorship is carried out explicitly to prevent the release of information that might be useful to an enemy. Censorship by religion is a form of censorship where freedom of expression is controlled or limited using religious authority or on the basis of the teachings of the religion. Internet censorship is the control or suppression of the publishing or accessing of information on the Internet, and it may be carried out by governments or private organizations either at the behest of the government or on their own initiative.
Censorship can be carried out by the government as well as private pressure groups, but censorship by the government is unconstitutional. Censorship can be seen as a relic of an unenlightened and much more oppressive age, and it is generally regarded as a violation of individual liberty. Censors try to use the power of the state to impose their view of what is truthful and appropriate, or offensive and objectionable, on everyone else. Censorship can take many forms, including the prevention of publication, transmission, or exhibition of material considered undesirable for the general public to possess or be exposed to.
