censura

Non condivido le sue legittime opinioni e molto probabilmente siamo anche molto lontani politicamente, ma la censura subita dal Prof. Rovelli rappresenta il primo passo di una storia già vissuta ed ampiamente subita nel secolo precedente, cominciata con il rogo dei libri operato dalla propaganda nazista nel maggio 1933.

A distanza di novant’anni si possono anche cambiare le divise ma la metodologia di ogni ideologia massimalista rimane la medesima. Paradossale, poi, che il vile responsabile di questo vergognoso attacco alla libertà di opinione sia un rappresentante della “sinistra prodiana Illuminata” ed ex parlamentare. Ad ulteriore conferma di come tanto a destra quando a sinistra l’arma della censura rappresenti uno strumento consono al raggiungimento degli obiettivi ideologici.

Dal 10 maggio 1933, con il rogo dei libri non corrispondenti all’ideologia nazista, al 13 maggio 2023 novant’anni si dimostrano passati inutilmente.

Siamo tornati al punto di partenza, con profonda amarezza.

A Napoli una querela per diffamazione è stata archiviata perché Facebook ha ritenuto di non collaborare – con la procura partenopea che si era attivata in seguito all’esposto di una ragazza che sul social network si era ritrovata una pagina a lei intestata con foto in abiti molto «ridotti», come ha riferito Panorama lo scorso ottobre.

Le relazioni tra big tech e ordinamento giuridico sono una questione emersa già da tempo negli Usa. In Texas la Corte d’appello del quinto distretto ha riabilitato la legge Hb20, precedentemente bocciata, che consente agli iscritti ai social di denunciare le società se ritengono di essere stati censurati o di aver subìto la sospensione del profilo senza valido motivo. Oltre Atlantico, peraltro, a creare problemi giuridici non è tanto la violazione della privacy, come nel caso napoletano, ma la cultura woke, l’insofferenza verso tutto ciò che urta la sensibilità, o forse piuttosto la suscettibilità, politically correct. L’intelligenza artificiale di Menlo Park ha cancellato dalle mappe di Facebook la città francese di nome «Bitche» (5mila anime nel dipartimento della Mosella, al confine con la Germania) perché la pronuncia di quel nome (con la «e» muta) assomiglia a un insulto sessista in inglese. Allo stesso modo, la religione del politicamente corretto ha imposto la censura di quattro opere di Courbet, Giorgione e Canova perché ritenute volgari e pornografiche, ritraendo nudi di donne (come appunto il celeberrimo quadro di Gustave Courbet ‘ del mondo’). Finanche la dichiarazione di indipendenza americana è stata oscurata sul social per il riferimento agli «spietati selvaggi indiani». Vogliamo parlare poi del controllo esercitato sull’informazione durante la fase più acuta della pandemia?

Looking at the continent as a whole there are too often “cases of arbitrary censorship, especially on the internet with occasional network shutdowns in some countries, arrests of journalists and violent attacks”, press freedom charity Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says.

In its annual report, released on World Press Freedom Day, RSF says there is a wide variety of experiences for journalists across Africa.

Seychelles is the top-ranking African nation in RSF’s global index – at number 13 out of 180 countries.

It says that the island nation “is one of the very rare African countries in which most journalists are women”.

Namibia is next on this list – at number 18. Both Seychelles and Namibia are placed higher than the UK (24), France (26) and the US (42).

Right at the other end of the list sits Eritrea, which is only beaten to the bottom position by North Korea.

“The media are subject to the whim of President Isaias Afwerki, a dictator responsible for crimes against humanity, according to a UN report in June 2016”, RSF says.

“There are no independent media outlets, and journalists have either fled the country or are in prison”.

Hong Kong’s legislature has passed a new law banning films deemed to violate China’s national security interests, the latest blow to freedom of expression in the territory.

Punishment for violating the law includes up to three years imprisonment and $130,000 (£95,000) in fines.

Critics say the legislation will stifle the vibrant local film industry.

Last year, China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong that effectively outlawed dissent.

The legislation, which came after huge pro-democracy protests in 2019, criminalises secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. Critics say it is aimed at crushing dissent but China says it is meant to maintain stability.

The film censorship law was approved in the opposition-free Legislative Council. It gives the chief secretary – the second-most powerful figure in the city’s administration – the power to revoke a film’s licence if it is found to “endorse, support, glorify, encourage and incite activities that might endanger national security”.

Experts and content producers have raised worries about the impact of the legislation, which does not cover films posted online, on creativity and freedom of expression.

Filmmaker Kiwi Chow, whose documentary Revolution of Our Times about the 2019 protests was featured at the Cannes Film Festival this year, told Reuters news agency the law would “worsen self-censorship and fuel fear among filmmakers”.

A speedy job

By Martin Yip, BBC News Chinese, Hong Kong

The bill was passed by a simple showing of hands, at the last meeting of the council’s much extended current term. And despite the lack of opposition in the legislature, lawmakers still debate.

Councillor Luk Chung-hung claimed it was political films that hindered creativity, not the proposed censorship law. Another councillor, Priscilla Leung, who is also a law professor, insisted the bill was in full compliance with human rights laws, and she hoped to stop such films from “brainwashing” young people.

Filmmakers will certainly be concerned. Dr Kenny Ng of the Hong Kong Baptist University’s Film Academy said the new law would see film distributors worrying if their already-approved films would be withdrawn, meaning more uncertainty in the industry.

As for the lawmakers, it is time to prepare for winning their job back as the election takes place in December – under completely new election laws.

The arts industry was already being targeted even before the new law. In June, a local theatre pulled the award-winning documentary Inside The Red Brick Wall, also about the 2019 protests, and its distributor lost government funding.

Book publishers have admitted to self-censoring and the largest pro-democracy paper, Apple Daily, closed earlier this year amid a national security investigation.

Meanwhile, many opposition figures are already in prison or in exile.