About Censorship Tracker

Welcome to Censorship Tracker, a crowd-sourced mapping tool that records limitations on the right to free expression. The first project of its kind nationally, this map will allow Canadians to track instances of censorship across Canada, and see how censorship is changing over time. The project is led by PEN Canada, in partnership with the BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE).

Censorship tracker is an open space for the public to report their own experiences with free expression violations, and we hope that Canadians will report incidents often overlooked by traditional media outlets. We define “censorship” in general (and not necessarily negative) terms. In particular, we include as “censorship” any incident in which the right to free expression, guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, is limited.

Once we have collected a number of incidents, the map will be an accessible and reliable resource that Canadians can use to review free expression incidents in Canada, one that represents the full spectrum of violations that occur across all provinces and territories.

Censorship Tracker was inspired by Index on Censorship's Media Freedom map.

Why now?

In recent years, efforts to control, prevent, or silence expression of all kinds have made national headlines: the silencing of scientists, the closure of national libraries, the rise in SLAPP suits are just a few.  While the Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees our right to freedom of expression, these examples indicate that there are an increasing number of ways in which that right is being challenged. In addition to the incidents that are being reported in the media, we are also sure there are cases that we never hear about, those that remain lost to the public record.  Without an awareness of the scope of these incidents and their details, it is impossible for organizations like ours to address them, and we hope that, through this tool, we will be better able to plan our work.

How to Fill Out a Report:

Censorship Tracker relies on submissions from the public (that’s you!) in order to capture the full spectrum of actions that limit free expression that occur across Canada. Submit your report of censorship by clicking on the "Submit a Report" button on the homepage. To ensure factual accuracy we verify all reports, so the more information you provide to us, the quicker your report will appear on the map. Here are some tips on filling out a good report: 

  • Use as much detail as possible, and be specific about who was involved and where it happened.
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  • Include links to news articles that reference the incident or to other documents that might be useful for us
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  • Help us categorize your report by answering the multiple choice questions about what was being censored, who was doing the censoring, who was being censored, and what type of censorship occurred.  You may check off all the boxes that apply. A list of the questions with the options for each category is at the bottom of this page.
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  • Include a valid email address so that we can contact you for further details (your contact information will not be published or shared with anyone)

How do we verify reports?

After you submit your report, we will verify it in order to ensure factual accuracy, but we will not make an assessment about whether the censorship that you report is justified– Censorship Tracker records all incidents that are reported.  We may fact-check against previously published reports and articles, conduct personal interviews, and/or verify with other involved parties. We are committed to a fair and transparent verification process and will contact you by email before making substantive changes to your report. Any reports on the map that we are unable to verify will be noted explicitly and flagged in the summary of the report.