Censorship has been used by governments and influential groups throughout history as a tool for political and economic gain since ancient times. The Romans thought that censorship was necessary to shape society's morals to match the government's ideals. During the 1500s the Catholic Church prohibited the reading of some texts that conflicted with the established religion. Back then the idea of ​​censorship was viewed differently than it is today. With powerful organizations restricting information, it was often impossible for the average person to obtain publications or hear ideas that differed from state ideals; they probably didn't even know their information was being censored. We live in a different age today, information is more readily available and censorship is often seen as a negative practice that limits freedoms. That said, it still exists today and can be seen as an obstacle to true democracy. Even some of the most authoritarian regimes around today allude to the fact that democracy is desirable. In the 2012 EIU Democracy Index, North Korea is ranked 167th in terms of its level of democracy (the lowest-scoring country on the index). Yet they mention democracy in the official name of their country, “Democratic People's Republic of Korea.” Those outside of North Korea might view this as some kind of sick joke, but it highlights people's desire for a fair and democratic process around the world. North Korea is an extreme case of a lack of democracy, as well as an extreme case of government-imposed censorship, but censorship is not limited to the low end of the democratic spectrum. It comes in many shapes and forms and exists at some level in most nations around the world. This article will outline and analyze... central part of the article ......Urity numbers to be able to participate in online communities. Anonymity is seen as one of the foundations that makes an open Internet such an important tool for democracy. People at the lowest end of the social structure can express their opinions to the same audience as someone of high social status, in short it's the words that are more important than who they are on the Internet. Internet censorship has played a major role in politics since the 2002 presidential election. South Korea has strict rules about what can and cannot be said about elections and when campaigning can begin. Fish notes that public data on the number of deletion requests and investigations into Internet censorship have increased over the past 10 years. In the conclusion Fish seeks to reconcile these conflicts involving one of the most successful democracies in Asia