A world of controlled information, where the truth is hidden under a thick layer of propaganda, sounds like a scenario from a dystopian sci-fi movie. But unfortunately, it might not be that far from the truth.

Imagine a world where social platforms like YouTube, Facebook, X, Instagram or TikTok become tools of large-scale censorship. Inconvenient opinions are deleted, critical voices are silenced, and free information is replaced by well-crafted propaganda.

Does that sound absurd? Not really.

Russia has already set the tone with Ruviki, a Kremlin-controlled clone of Wikipedia, where articles are edited to present a favorable image to the regime. "Foreign agents" are removed from the discussion, and any criticism of the government is simply forbidden.

• https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/04/30/0045208/russia-clones-wikipedia-censors-it-bans-original

But Russia is not alone - China has the Great Digital Firewall, which blocks access to websites deemed "inappropriate" by the regime. The United States has its own surveillance laws that allow the government to monitor citizens' online communication.

Take YouTube for example or why not... TikTok, the platform where funny dances mix with controversial opinions. Although some consider it a place of freedom of expression, others see it as a propaganda machine, where "inappropriate" opinions disappear as if by magic.

But who decides what is "truth" and what is "lie"? Who draws the line between "free information" and "propaganda"? Curious - who is that qualified to do that???

We must be critical and question everything we read and hear. Otherwise, we risk waking up in a world where the joke of digital censorship has become a sad reality.

It's not just Russia! All the states of the world seem to be playing "Detect the lie", trying to control what information reaches their citizens.