Google Inc.'s fight with China over Internet censorship made headlines around the world, but it has been engaged in similar battles around the globe.
At least 25 countries, many of them with repressive regimes but even those with democracies, have at times blocked the public's access to Google over the last several years. All told, more than 40 countries actively censor the Internet, compared with a handful in 2004, which is when the OpenNet Initiative, a group of academics, began tracking global censorship.
Censorship runs the gamut. Denmark bans child pornography. Iran has the most extensive filtering and surveillance system of any country, blocking access to all online content critical of the government. It stepped up its Internet crackdown and surveillance during the disputed presidential election last summer.
Some countries are setting up powerful electronic barriers, similar to the "Great Firewall" in China, to control what the public can access. Others, such as Belize, have blocked Google Talk and Microsoft's MSN Messenger, as well as other services that allow people to talk to one another over the Internet.
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