How a Minecraft server has become a platform for censored journalists, giving them freedom of expression

Reporters Without Borders, a non-profit organization that fights to ensure that governments cannot censor and silence works they disagree with, saw that Minecraft remained accessible in many countries known for harsh censorship. This allowed them to turn the game against censorship in quite a unique way, utilizing a server to circumvent traditional means of censorship.

They did this through a server known as The Uncensored Library, which is detailed below, along with just what made Mojang's game the perfect fit for the project.

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What made Minecraft the ideal platform for journalists?

The Uncensored Library itself is a truly gorgeous build. (Image via Mojang)

Minecraft is a natural conduit for artistic creativity and freedom of expression, and it is also the single best-selling game of all time, which could allow organizations to use it to spread information. It's far easier to connect to any of Minecraft's best servers than it is to download and set up a VPN, after all.

This means that millions of people, if not more, have freer access to Minecraft than regular journalism and uncensored news sources. It is a frightening fact but one that could be exploited to the detriment of tyrannical governments worldwide.

Reporters Without Borders realized they could create a library within the game that people could connect to. Then, by taking full advantage of books and quills, one of the biggest additions of Minecraft update 1.3, the nonprofit could fill the library with as much banned material and information as possible.

The organization partnered with the building collective known as BlockWorks to bring their vision to life in a project known as The Uncensored Library.

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What is The Uncensored Library?

The Russian wing of The Uncensored Library. (Image via Mojang)

The Uncensored Library is a painstakingly detailed server, featuring a massive and genuinely gorgeous library build. This is the building from which the server and project get their names. Within the halls of this library are more than 300 Minecraft books worth of banned articles and news.

This may not seem like that much, but a single Java Edition book can contain an average of more than 13,000 English words. This means that the library contains a total of four million words of normally inaccessible content. A truly unfathomable amount of good is being done, for sure.

The library's looks are not just for show, however, as there are twelve distinct wings contained within. Many of these wings are dedicated to specific countries. This means that all the books contained within a specific country's wing would be filled with material banned from that specific country. This makes it easier for potential users to see news and information relevant to them.

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The Uncensored Library is an incredible force of good, helping break down the evil walls of censorship. The project, which first opened its doors in March 2020, has become a beloved part of the game's community and will hopefully be updated for years to come.