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The Uncensored Library
The Uncensored Library is a Minecraft server and map released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and created by BlockWorks, DDB Berlin,[1] and Media.Monks[2] as an attempt to circumvent censorship in countries without freedom of the press. The library contains banned reporting from Mexico, Russia, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Brazil, and Eritrea.[3][4] An entire wing is given to each country, each containing several banned articles. The library was released on March 12, 2020, the World Day Against Cyber Censorship. The two ways to access the library are to download a map from the official website, or to connect to their Minecraft server.[5][2][6] DesignThe library is a large scale project built using a neoclassical architectural style. It is intended to resemble well-established institutions such as the New York Public Library, as well as stylistically allude to the authoritarian structures the project aims to subvert.[6] The library uses over 12.5 million Minecraft blocks.[7] Bibliophiles as well as Gamers from around the world have expressed an interest in a collaborative effort by programmers to create back door access in programs outside of Minecraft that they write to allow access[8] to the library. In doing so it would become impossible for individual governments and authoritarian regimes to outlaw one specific game or other type technology ensuring greater access to censored writings for future generations. While many have supported this idea, some[who?] have pointed out that in countries like North Korea, access to foreign computer games and programs is heavily restricted by the government to prevent exposure to outside ideas and influences that could challenge the state's control. Therefore to be successful any type of "back door" access would have to be deeply embedded and self proliferating through benign software that is allowed.[citation needed] Format Each of the nine countries covered by the library, as well as Reporters without Borders, has an individual wing, containing a number of articles,[1] available in English and the original language the article was written in.[2] The texts within the library are contained in in-game book items, which can be opened and placed on stands to be read by multiple players at once.[1] These articles generally discuss censorship, unjust punishment, and other critiques of the writer's government. The interior architecture of each country's room symbolizes each country's unique situation and journalistic challenges.[2] Additionally, the library contains a central room listing the Press Freedom Index and state of freedom of the press of every country covered by the index, and the Mexican section contains memorials for reporters who were killed due to their writings.[6] In March 2020, the library contained over 200 different books.[6] A room in the library covers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on journalism, containing books on 10 countries (Brazil, China, Egypt, Hungary, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, Thailand and Turkmenistan) to show how reporting of the virus in each country has been affected.[9] ReceptionAfter launch, the project went viral across social media platforms and has been featured in various media outlets such as the BBC,[10] DW News,[11] CNBC,[12] CNN,[2] TechCrunch,[5] The Verge,[6] Gizmodo,[1] Engadget,[13] Mashable,[14] PC Gamer[15] and Scene World Magazine.[16] The project also received a 2022 Peabody Award for the Interactive category.[17] When awarding The Uncensored Library with their Peabody Award, Peabody's website described the library as "a monument to press freedom and an innovative back door for access to censored content."[18] Notes
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