You Can’t Read This Book by Nick Cohen Summary

You Can't Read This Book argues that modern assumptions of free speech are dangerously naive, exposing how states, religious groups, and the wealthy enforce censorship through laws, fear, and technology. Examples include China’s internet controls, Britain’s libel laws favoring the powerful, and corporate suppression of dissent. Cohen challenges the idea that the internet inherently promotes liberty, revealing systemic oppression in democratic societies.

This book is essential for journalists, policymakers, and activists focused on free speech, as well as political science students studying censorship. It’s also valuable for general readers concerned about growing restrictions on expression in democracies, workplace silencing, or the manipulation of online discourse.

Yes—it’s a provocative, well-researched critique of modern censorship, though some find its tone overly cynical. While repetitive in examples, it remains relevant for its analysis of how power structures exploit legal and technological tools to stifle dissent. The 2013 Political Book Award winner for Polemic of the Year.

Cohen contends that censorship evolves through three forces: authoritarian states (e.g., China’s Great Firewall), religious extremism, and plutocratic power (e.g., super-injunctions shielding the wealthy). He also critiques workplace gag clauses and the myth of internet freedom, arguing platforms enable surveillance and suppression as effectively as governments.

While acknowledging the internet’s role in dissent, Cohen highlights how governments and corporations co-opt it for control. Examples include China’s censorship apparatus, algorithmic suppression of controversial content, and social media companies prioritizing profit over free speech—creating an illusion of openness.

• British libel laws: Used by elites to silence criticism, burdening defendants with legal costs.
• Iran’s 2009 protests: Demonstrators’ online efforts were crushed by state violence and propaganda.
• Super-injunctions: UK legal tools allowing the rich to hide scandals from the press.

Cohen condemns Britain’s plaintiff-friendly libel system, which lets the wealthy sue critics into silence—even if claims are true. Though reforms followed the book’s publication, burdensome costs and guilty-until-proven-innocent frameworks persist, favoring power over transparency.

• “Respect is the enemy of tolerance”: Demands for “respect” often mask authoritarianism, suppressing debate.
• “The internet’s promise of free speech is a delusion”: Control simply shifted from states to tech monopolies.
• “Fear is the censor’s sharpest tool”: Silencing dissent through intimidation.

Some argue Cohen’s examples (e.g., libel abuse, corporate censorship) reiterate known issues without fresh solutions. Critics also note his pessimistic tone overlooks grassroots resistance, while fans praise his unflinching exposure of systemic oppression.

Its themes persist: tech-driven surveillance, wealthy influence over media, and global declines in press freedom. As AI moderation and “fake news” laws expand, Cohen’s warnings about power structures exploiting new tools remain urgent.

Unlike abstract theories (e.g., On Liberty), Cohen focuses on real-world mechanisms: legal systems, corporate policies, and digital controls. It complements Nineteen Eighty-Four by showing how censorship adapts to modern capitalistic democracies.

A veteran Observer journalist, Cohen is known for critiquing left-wing alliances with authoritarian regimes (What’s Left?). His experience covering censorship and political hypocrisy informs You Can’t Read This Book’s blend of reporting and polemic.