---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: While the Internet is censored in China…"
description: "\"While the Internet is censored in China, the censorship is allowing a level of speech to take place that's unprecedented.\" — Ethan Zuckerman"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e53/ethan-zuckerman-12315_allowing_while-the-internet-is-censored-in-china_176986.png"
---

#  While the Internet is censored in China, the censorship is…

![“While the Internet is censored in China, the censorship is allowing a level of speech to take place that's unprecedented.” quote by Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e53/ethan-zuckerman-12315_allowing_while-the-internet-is-censored-in-china_176986.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e53/ethan-zuckerman-12315_allowing_while-the-internet-is-censored-in-china_176986.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e53/ethan-zuckerman-12315_allowing_while-the-internet-is-censored-in-china_176986.png)

> “While the Internet is censored in China, the censorship is allowing a level of speech to take place that's unprecedented.”

[Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Censorship in China paradoxically creates a unique space for certain expressions to emerge that wouldn't otherwise exist.

**In simple terms:** Restrictions can unintentionally foster new forms of speech.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and protect these unexpected freedoms.

Themes

censorship free speech China media politics

Mood

cautious reflective

Type

analytical observational

When to use this quote

- online activism
- journalism
- academic research
- social media
- policy analysis

Key Concepts

authoritarianism information flow public discourse

Questions to Reflect On

- How does censorship shape the content that is allowed?
- What unintended voices emerge under restriction?

A Different Perspective

Even limited speech may be heavily monitored, limiting true openness.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Allowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allowing/) [Censored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censored/) [Censored China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censored-china-1901835/) [Censorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censorship/) [Censorship Allowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censorship-allowing-1901837/) [China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china/) [China Censorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china-censorship-974906/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Internet Censored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet-censored-1901836/) [Levels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levels/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) [Unprecedented](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unprecedented/)

## Related quotes

> [Overall there may be less censorship in America than in China, but censorship and self-censorship are not only from political pressure, but also pressures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/overall-there-may-be-less-censorship-in-america-than-in-china-but/)

[Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/)

> [At the State Department, where I oversaw our human rights diplomacy, I often confronted dictatorships like China about their censorship of the Internet, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-malinowski/at-the-state-department-where-i-oversaw-our-human-rights-diplomacy-i/)

[Tom Malinowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-malinowski/)

> [China's censorship and propaganda systems may be complex and multilayered, but they are obviously not well coordinated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/china-s-censorship-and-propaganda-systems-may-be-complex-and/)

[Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/)

> [“It is astounding that Google, whose corporate philosophy is ‘don’t be evil,’ would enable evil by cooperating with China’s censorship policies just to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-levy/it-is-astounding-that-google-whose-corporate-philosophy-is-don-t-be/)

[Steven Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-levy/)

> [Part of the power of the Internet is that information flows out there and it's generally not censored and it's generally not controlled by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/part-of-the-power-of-the-internet-is-that-information-flows-out-there/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Between 1961 and 1982, 'The Catcher in the Rye' was the most censored book in high schools and libraries in the United States. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/between-1961-and-1982-the-catcher-in-the-rye-was-the-most-censored/)

[Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/)

> [Usually the audience has no idea that the censored version of whatever movie they're watching isn't the original.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-solondz/usually-the-audience-has-no-idea-that-the-censored-version-of/)

[Todd Solondz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-solondz/)

> [Libraries should be open to all - except the censor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/libraries-should-be-open-to-all-except-the-censor/)

[John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/)

> [I never really expected "Hurricane" to be censored and banned around the world, but I think the good thing that came from it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-leto/i-never-really-expected-hurricane-to-be-censored-and-banned-around/)

[Jared Leto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-leto/)

> [Thanks to television, for the first time the young are seeing history made before it is censored by their elders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/thanks-to-television-for-the-first-time-the-young-are-seeing-history/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [As it is an ancient truth that freedom cannot be legislated into existence, so it is no less obvious that freedom cannot be censored…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/as-it-is-an-ancient-truth-that-freedom-cannot-be-legislated-into/)

[Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/)

> [Consistently, Baidu has censored politically sensitive search results much more thoroughly than Google.cn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/consistently-baidu-has-censored-politically-sensitive-search-results/)

[Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/)

> [For me, books were my source of affirmation. Alice Walker, Audrey Lord - it was these authors who wrote about their experiences. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/for-me-books-were-my-source-of-affirmation-alice-walker-audrey-lord/)

[Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/)

> [I don't think that anything anyone has to say should ever be censored or unheard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eminem/i-don-t-think-that-anything-anyone-has-to-say-should-ever-be-censored/)

[Eminem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eminem/)

> [Satire that the censor understands is rightly censored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/satire-that-the-censor-understands-is-rightly-censored/)

[Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/)

## More by Ethan Zuckerman

> [A world where everyone creates content gets confusing pretty quickly without a good search engine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/a-world-where-everyone-creates-content-gets-confusing-pretty-quickly/)

[Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/)

> [Cute. I'm on the waitlist to beta a new product, and have been offered the chance to move up in the list if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/cute-i-m-on-the-waitlist-to-beta-a-new-product-and-have-been-offered/)

[Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/)

> [Moments of crisis, like the shooting in Newtown, tend to produce brief spikes of popular interest in gun control. My research on media attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/moments-of-crisis-like-the-shooting-in-newtown-tend-to-produce-brief/)

[Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/)

> [It's becoming clear that the world is listening, so now we're trying to get new groups of people talking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/it-s-becoming-clear-that-the-world-is-listening-so-now-we-re-trying/)

[Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/)

> [People who know me well have learned to insist that I commit to obligations by opening my laptop and putting them onto the appropriate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/people-who-know-me-well-have-learned-to-insist-that-i-commit-to/)

[Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/)

> [Now if you're using Twitter or other social networks, and you didn't realize this was a space with a lot of Brazilians in it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/now-if-you-re-using-twitter-or-other-social-networks-and-you-didn-t/)

[Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/)

> [The wider world is a click away, but whether we mean to or not, we're usually filtering it out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/the-wider-world-is-a-click-away-but-whether-we-mean-to-or-not-we-re/)

[Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/)

> [Reddit names are unconnected to real-world identities and it's commonplace for users to create 'throwaway' accounts to reveal sensitive information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/reddit-names-are-unconnected-to-real-world-identities-and-it-s/)

[Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/)

> [ \[According to Twitter\] 24 percent of American Twitter users are African-American. That's about twice as high as African-Americans are represented in the population. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/according-to-twitter-24-percent-of-american-twitter-users-are-african/)

[Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/)

> [If we need simple narratives so people can amplify and spread them, are we forced to engage only with the simplest of problems?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/if-we-need-simple-narratives-so-people-can-amplify-and-spread-them/)

[Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/)

> [If I use Facebook to stay in touch with my high school friends who are church-going Republicans, I may be getting more ideological diversity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/if-i-use-facebook-to-stay-in-touch-with-my-high-school-friends-who/)

[Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/)

> [On the Internet, information from Indiana and India is equally cheap and easy to access.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/on-the-internet-information-from-indiana-and-india-is-equally-cheap/)

[Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/)

> [A common language is a first step towards communication across cultural boundaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/a-common-language-is-a-first-step-towards-communication-across/)

[Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/)

> [Re-tweeting is a pretty common practice on Twitter, but on an average day, we see maybe one out of 20 posts is a re-tweet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/re-tweeting-is-a-pretty-common-practice-on-twitter-but-on-an-average/)

[Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/)

> [Creativity is an import-export business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/creativity-is-an-import-export-business/)

[Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/)

[Explore all 55 Ethan Zuckerman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/)

## More Allowing quotes

> [New generations of humans inherit the acquired discoveries of generations past, allowing cosmic insight to accumulate without limit. Each discovery of science therefore adds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/new-generations-of-humans-inherit-the-acquired-discoveries-of/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [Is the minor convenience of allowing the present generation the luxury of doubling its energy consumption every 10 years worth the major hazard of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/is-the-minor-convenience-of-allowing-the-present-generation-the/)

[David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/)

> [When you are not honoring the present moment by allowing it to be, you are creating drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/when-you-are-not-honoring-the-present-moment-by-allowing-it-to-be-you/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [“Once again I was shamelessly allowing myself to be defined by another person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginny-babcock-kinflicks/once-again-i-was-shamelessly-allowing-myself-to-be-defined-by-another/)

[Ginny Babcock Kinflicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginny-babcock-kinflicks/)

> [Even when I was saying I was Agnostic and trying to figure out my thoughts, I felt God was allowing me to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfre-woodard/even-when-i-was-saying-i-was-agnostic-and-trying-to-figure-out-my/)

[Alfre Woodard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfre-woodard/)

> [By allowing multiple partners to contribute, an open platform can nurture an entire ecosystem of developers and apps. Good products integrate and become great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holmes/by-allowing-multiple-partners-to-contribute-an-open-platform-can/)

[Ryan Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holmes/)

> [When you ask for patience, what you get is a line at the bank. In other words, life gives you the people, places, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-mcmillan/when-you-ask-for-patience-what-you-get-is-a-line-at-the-bank-in-other/)

[Tracy McMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-mcmillan/)

> [Sometimes, I get afraid it has defined me, that sense of grief, loss and illness. But actually, it is about allowing myself to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-i-get-afraid-it-has-defined-me-that-sense-of-grief-loss-and/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Meditation is actually a very simple exercise in resting in the natural state of your present mind, and allowing yourself to be simply and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yongey-mingyur-rinpoche/meditation-is-actually-a-very-simple-exercise-in-resting-in-the/)

[Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yongey-mingyur-rinpoche/)

> [When you're still, and some actors are really brilliant at that, you bring a kind of energy to you as opposed to sending the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-byrne/when-you-re-still-and-some-actors-are-really-brilliant-at-that-you/)

[Gabriel Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-byrne/)

> [The only reason I would write a break-up song is because my own problem of allowing myself to relate to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zola-jesus/the-only-reason-i-would-write-a-break-up-song-is-because-my-own/)

[Zola Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zola-jesus/)

> [I just think fashion is about enjoying yourself and being comfortable in your skin and allowing you to be you - all the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-scott/i-just-think-fashion-is-about-enjoying-yourself-and-being-comfortable/)

[Jill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-scott/)

> [I don't think there's any harm at all in allowing a kid to fantasize. In fact, I think to stop people from fantasizing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-there-s-any-harm-at-all-in-allowing-a-kid-to-fantasize/)

[J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/)

> [All I wanted to do was put together one of the best home maths systems in the world, and that's what we've done. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-vorderman/all-i-wanted-to-do-was-put-together-one-of-the-best-home-maths/)

[Carol Vorderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-vorderman/)

> [I want to deal with the homeless situation here in Washington, D.C. I think it is a travesty that we've got men - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-deal-with-the-homeless-situation-here-in-washington-d-c-i/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

[Browse all 916 Allowing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allowing/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "While the Internet is censored in China, the censorship is allowing a level of speech to take place that's unprecedented.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ethan Zuckerman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/while-the-internet-is-censored-in-china-the-censorship-is-allowing-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Allowing"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/while-the-internet-is-censored-in-china-the-censorship-is-allowing-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e53/ethan-zuckerman-12315_allowing_while-the-internet-is-censored-in-china_176986.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e53/ethan-zuckerman-12315_allowing_while-the-internet-is-censored-in-china_176986.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e53/ethan-zuckerman-12315_allowing_while-the-internet-is-censored-in-china_176986.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“While the Internet is censored in China, the censorship is allowing a level of speech to take place that's…” — Ethan Zuckerman",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ethan Zuckerman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "While the Internet is censored in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/while-the-internet-is-censored-in-china-the-censorship-is-allowing-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/while-the-internet-is-censored-in-china-the-censorship-is-allowing-a/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
