Minecraft is now being used as a global weapon against censorship

Minecraft being one of the most popular games ever created owes its success to its vast array of creative features. Now, those creative features are being used in a way that has never been before.

Introducing, 'The Uncensored Library' a new Minecraft server that boasts freedom of the press rights. Yes, that's right, this Minecraft server is open to the global public who want to read books that contain articles that are originally censored. The people behind this project are the organization Reporters Without Borders and BlockWorks.

These groups decided to make this Minecraft server for people in countries such as Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam where censorship has taken hold. Players who jump into the server can read censored articles from Mada Masr, grani.ru, Javier Valdez, Jamal Khashoggi, and Nguyen Van Dai. According to James Delaney, the Managing Director at BlockWorks and Architect of the Uncensored Library, "The Uncensored Library is a bold use of Minecraft. It really encapsulates everything that is great about this game and the community it has created."

The Minecraft world was built in just three months, and used over twelve and a half million individual blocks for its construction. People location in sixteen different countries came together in unison to work on the project, amassing over 250 hours of work before its completion.

Christian Mihr, Managing Director for Reporters Without Borders Germany, said: "In many countries around the world, there is no free access to information. Websites are blocked, independent newspapers are banned and the press is controlled by the state. Young people grow up without being able to form their own opinions. By using Minecraft, the world's most popular computer game, as a medium, we give them access to independent information."