Mimeta has released comprehensive documentation of 44 artistic censorshipMemos on 27 countries, revealing a critical inflection point in global artistic freedom.
The data is sobering:
At least 21 artists and cultural workers killed during Iran's month-long government crackdown (January 8-31)
TikTok ownership transfer to Oracle-MGX consortium created infrastructure-level censorship affecting 170M+ U.S. users
43% of cases concentrated in the Middle East, with Lebanon and Syria as regional hotspots
Religious justifications appeared in 36% of cases globally
Amnesty International called Iran's actions "the deadliest period of repression by the Iranian authorities in decades."
Resistance persists:
Kenya's Court of Appeal overturned a film ban.
Lebanese artists performed despite extremist threats.
Australia's author boycott created institutional crisis.
The shift from content moderation to infrastructure control marks a dangerous evolution. Within two days of TikTok's ownership change, content about police violence was suppressed.
See the full January 2026 Artistic Censorship Analysis at Mimeta's website for detailed case documentation, geographic patterns, and implications for artistic freedom.
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