World Day Against Cyber Censorship

World Day Against Cyber Censorship is an online event held each year on March 12 to draw attention to the ways that governments around the world are deterring and censoring free speech online.[1] The day was first observed on 12 March 2008 at the request of Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International. A letter written by Jean-François Julliard, Secretary-General of Reporters Without Borders, and Larry Cox, Executive Director of Amnesty International, was sent to the Chief Executive Officers of Google, Yahoo!, Inc., and Microsoft Corporation to request observation of the day.[2] The annual event is symbolized by a logo created by Reporters Without Borders consisting of a computer mouse breaking free from a chain.[3]

  1. ^ "March 12: 'World Day Against Cyber-Censorship'". The Atlantic. 12 March 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
  2. ^ Copy of a letter dated 6 March 2009 from Jean-Francois Julliard, Secretary-General of Reporters Without Borders, and Larry Cox, Executive Director of Amnesty International, to Eric Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer, Google, Carol Bartz, Chief Executive Officer, Yahoo!, Inc., and Steve Ballmer, Chief Executive Officer, Microsoft Corporation.
  3. ^ "World Day Against Cyber Censorship". Retrieved 12 March 2015.