It turns out that making use of Minecraft is one way of overcoming press censorship.

Recently, the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) NGO announced that they had built “The Uncensored Libra- ry” in collaboration with design studio BlockWorks within the game. Accessible to all Minecraft players via an open server, its books contain articles that were originally censored in their originating countries.

“These articles are now available again within Minecraft hidden from government surveillance technology inside a computer game,” RSF wrote.

“The books can be read by everyone on the server, but their content cannot be changed. The library is growing, with more and more books being added to overcome cen-sorship.”

The library took about three months to build and utilized over 12.5 million blocks. According to RSF, “It took 24 builders from 16 different countries over 250 hours to design and create the library. The library’s main dome is nearly 300 metres wide, which would make it the second-largest in the world.”

The building, pixelated though it may be, is stunning, as you can see from the trailer above. It’s also amazing to see Minecraft being utilized as a means for overcoming press censorship. The power of video games, right?