--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was forced to say, 'I will not censor…" description: "\"I was forced to say, 'I will not censor the Internet.' But I was never convinced.\" — Mahathir Mohamad" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/mahathir-mohamad-3562_censor_i-was-forced-to-say-i-will-not-censor-th_2292930.png" --- # I was forced to say, 'I will not censor the Internet.' But… ![“I was forced to say, 'I will not censor the Internet.' But I was never convinced.” quote by Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/mahathir-mohamad-3562_censor_i-was-forced-to-say-i-will-not-censor-th_2292930.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/mahathir-mohamad-3562_censor_i-was-forced-to-say-i-will-not-censor-th_2292930.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/mahathir-mohamad-3562_censor_i-was-forced-to-say-i-will-not-censor-th_2292930.png) > “I was forced to say, 'I will not censor the Internet.' But I was never convinced.” [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He pledged not to censor the Internet but remained doubtful about its impact. **In simple terms:** He said he wouldn't censor online content but was unsure. Key Takeaway Question the feasibility of unrestricted internet. Themes censorship freedom technology politics trust skepticism Mood skeptical reflective Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy debates - media regulation - public statements Key Concepts digital rights government policy public trust Questions to Reflect On - Is absolute internet freedom realistic? - How should societies address harmful online content? A Different Perspective Balancing freedom with potential harms is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Censor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censor/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) ## Related quotes > [I don't care how sacred is freedom, but I think the time has come for governments, at least the Malaysian government, to censor the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/i-don-t-care-how-sacred-is-freedom-but-i-think-the-time-has-come-for/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [People would say I never censor. As Billy Crystal says, 'I don't have that button.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/people-would-say-i-never-censor-as-billy-crystal-says-i-don-t-have/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [All forms of government ultimately are not going to succeed in trying to control or censor the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/all-forms-of-government-ultimately-are-not-going-to-succeed-in-trying/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [I think if we ban certain religions, if we censor the Internet, I think that at that point the terrorists will have won.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-think-if-we-ban-certain-religions-if-we-censor-the-internet-i-think/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [Both the American people and nations that censor the internet should understand that our government is committed to helping promote internet freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/both-the-american-people-and-nations-that-censor-the-internet-should/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I am forced to say that I have many fiercer critics than myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/i-am-forced-to-say-that-i-have-many-fiercer-critics-than-myself/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I should have told her at the time. I could have taken a deep breath, looked away, and forced myself to say it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/i-should-have-told-her-at-the-time-i-could-have-taken-a-deep-breath/) [Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/) > [We have to give our opinion, we have to say something, or we are a part of it. As an artist I am forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/we-have-to-give-our-opinion-we-have-to-say-something-or-we-are-a-part/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [When I said NO they forced me to say YES but when I said YES..They became idle...Actually what were they wished to hear???](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saayasum/when-i-said-no-they-forced-me-to-say-yes-but-when-i-said-yes-they/) Saayasum > [“... Miss Bingley was left to the satisfaction of having forced him to say what gave no one any pain but herself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/miss-bingley-was-left-to-the-satisfaction-of-having-forced-him-to-say/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [A censor is a man who knows more than he thinks you ought to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/granville-hicks/a-censor-is-a-man-who-knows-more-than-he-thinks-you-ought-to/) Granville Hicks > [Censorship makes me really angry. I even hate it when people censor themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-stone/censorship-makes-me-really-angry-i-even-hate-it-when-people-censor/) [Emma Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-stone/) > [Any test that turns on what is offensive to the community's standards is too loose, too capricious, too destructive of freedom of expression to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/any-test-that-turns-on-what-is-offensive-to-the-community-s-standards/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [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/) > [When a critic sets himself up as an arbiter of morality, a judge of the matter and not the manner of a work, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/when-a-critic-sets-himself-up-as-an-arbiter-of-morality-a-judge-of/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) ## More by Mahathir Mohamad > [I cannot keep quiet even when I am a lone voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/i-cannot-keep-quiet-even-when-i-am-a-lone-voice/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [The Internet is undermining moral values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/the-internet-is-undermining-moral-values/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [In Malaysia, trials have always been fair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/in-malaysia-trials-have-always-been-fair/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [There are certain things that we can deal with by following the rules. But at times, we find the rules restrict you from doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/there-are-certain-things-that-we-can-deal-with-by-following-the-rules/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [A heretic can be tolerated. But a heresy cannot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/a-heretic-can-be-tolerated-but-a-heresy-cannot/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [The Malays are spiritually inclined, tolerant, and easy-going. The non-Malays, and especially the Chinese, are materialistic, aggressive, and have an appetite for work. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/the-malays-are-spiritually-inclined-tolerant-and-easy-going-the-non/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [Any organisation has a future, provided it is properly led and it sticks to the objective of that organisation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/any-organisation-has-a-future-provided-it-is-properly-led-and-it/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [In the eyes of the world, Malaysia has become a pariah state, a state where anyone can be hauled up and questioned by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/in-the-eyes-of-the-world-malaysia-has-become-a-pariah-state-a-state/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [I not only think but also look and study things carefully. When I travel around, I look at things carefully, make comparisons of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/i-not-only-think-but-also-look-and-study-things-carefully-when-i/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [Suppose a part of Britain or a part of America was taken away and given to the Jews as Israel. Do you think the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/suppose-a-part-of-britain-or-a-part-of-america-was-taken-away-and/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [When you have a prime minister who is corrupt, then you can be sure that a country cannot be anything else but corrupt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/when-you-have-a-prime-minister-who-is-corrupt-then-you-can-be-sure/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [I am the first authoritarian government elected to become a dictator and then resigning as a dictator. So this is the first dictator in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/i-am-the-first-authoritarian-government-elected-to-become-a-dictator/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [It would seem the people who want to preserve the Penans' way of life are condemning them to a life full of diseases and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/it-would-seem-the-people-who-want-to-preserve-the-penans-way-of-life/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [Once started, religious strife has a tendency to go on and on - to become permanent feuds. Today we see such intractable inter-religious wars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/once-started-religious-strife-has-a-tendency-to-go-on-and-on-to/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [Membership of an organisation is good, as long as you can make yourself heard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/membership-of-an-organisation-is-good-as-long-as-you-can-make/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) [Explore all 126 Mahathir Mohamad quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) ## More Censor quotes > [When a critic sets himself up as an arbiter of morality, a judge of the matter and not the manner of a work, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/when-a-critic-sets-himself-up-as-an-arbiter-of-morality-a-judge-of/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [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/) > [Any test that turns on what is offensive to the community's standards is too loose, too capricious, too destructive of freedom of expression to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/any-test-that-turns-on-what-is-offensive-to-the-community-s-standards/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Censorship makes me really angry. I even hate it when people censor themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-stone/censorship-makes-me-really-angry-i-even-hate-it-when-people-censor/) [Emma Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-stone/) > [A censor is a man who knows more than he thinks you ought to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/granville-hicks/a-censor-is-a-man-who-knows-more-than-he-thinks-you-ought-to/) Granville Hicks > [“Pick a leader who will keep jobs in your country by offering companies incentives to hire only within their borders, not one who allows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/pick-a-leader-who-will-keep-jobs-in-your-country-by-offering/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [A performance art piece is unprecedented. It is difficult to censor since it has a good possibility of never being done before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-bowman/a-performance-art-piece-is-unprecedented-it-is-difficult-to-censor/) [Jack Bowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-bowman/) > [I think the enemy is self-censorship. In a free society the biggest danger is that you're afraid to the point where you censor yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-robbins/i-think-the-enemy-is-self-censorship-in-a-free-society-the-biggest/) [Tim Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-robbins/) > [Film is such a powerful medium. It's like a weapon and I think you have a duty to self-censor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jackson/film-is-such-a-powerful-medium-it-s-like-a-weapon-and-i-think-you/) [Peter Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jackson/) > [Metellus Numidicus, the censor, acknowledged to the Roman people, in a public oration, that had kind nature allowed us to exist without the help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/metellus-numidicus-the-censor-acknowledged-to-the-roman-people-in-a/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [“To be clear, Goodreads staff have not been deleting any posts. A value we've always had here is that we don't censor content (unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-y-chandler/to-be-clear-goodreads-staff-have-not-been-deleting-any-posts-a-value/) Otis Y. Chandler > [One could think of ways to defeat the censor. I could put up the answers on my Facebook page or website or Counterpunch. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/one-could-think-of-ways-to-defeat-the-censor-i-could-put-up-the/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [“I struggle each day not to let the fear of the censor poison my writing. Where the censor rules, a dull sameness creeps into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-mazer/i-struggle-each-day-not-to-let-the-fear-of-the-censor-poison-my/) Harry Mazer > [Words alone can rarely justify censorship. If we censor words themselves without looking at the context, we could shut down much of the entertainment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/witold-walczak/words-alone-can-rarely-justify-censorship-if-we-censor-words/) Witold Walczak > [An actor cannot be a censor. I'm there to interpret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-mcdowell/an-actor-cannot-be-a-censor-i-m-there-to-interpret/) [Malcolm McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-mcdowell/) [Browse all 167 Censor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was forced to say, 'I will not censor the Internet.' 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