2025
Screened
an interactive website that visualizes internet inequality
The internet was once hailed as a great equalizer–a limitless space for free expression, shared knowledge, and global connection. It was imagined as a place where borders dissolved, voices multiplied, and ideas flowed freely. But today, that vision feels increasingly out of reach. Our online lives are shaped by governments, corporations, and algorithms that dictate what we can see, say, and do, often in ways we don’t even realize.
The concept of a "screen" captures this tension: it's both the tool through which we access the internet and a filter that shapes and controls our experience. Our digital worlds are mediated in ways that vary dramatically depending on where we are and who we are.
Screened is an interactive site that visualizes internet inequality by dynamically transforming based on data from Freedom House’s Freedom on the Net report. It reflects the state of internet freedom in a selected country across three key areas: obstacles to access, limits on content, and violations of user rights and privacy. The project seeks to explore: How can we make these hidden layers of control visible? How can we make the effects of censorship and surveillance more tangible? And how can we address the growing urgency of protecting internet freedom in an increasingly digital world?
The visualization in the Internet Freedom introduction hides text based on a country's overall internet freedom score. The lower the score, the more text is concealed.
The visualization in the Obstacles to Access section hides text based on a country's barriers to getting online, such as power outages, infrastructure, and costs. The lower the score, the more obstacles there are, and the less text becomes accessible.
The visualization in the Limits on Content section blurs text based on a country's censorship and self-censorship due to fear of retaliation. The lower the score, the more censorship there is, and the blurrier the content becomes.
The visualization in the Violations of User Rights section tracks cursors based on a country's level of surveillance, privacy breaches, and the consequences of digital activity. The lower the score, the more violations there are, and the more tracking occurs.