School of Creative
Industries
BA(Hons) Arts Management
NFTs and their resistance to censorship
There has been an increasing number of artists creating non-fungible token (NFT) artwork. Uploading their works to platforms such as OpenSea and Rarible allows artists to express their individuality and thoughts, while creating a digital space for artistic freedom. In Singapore, the Infocomm Media Development Agency (IMDA) issues classification ratings to categories such as films and art to ensure viewers are protected from unsuitable content. However, with NFTs, artists can upload any content they desire without any restrictions.
This paper discusses how NFTs may be censorship-resistant and how this impacts Singapore – an Asian society distinguished by its multi-religious makeup and multiculturalism. While this paper focuses on Singapore, international case studies are used to illustrate the arguments where appropriate. The research will also suggest a set of key points to allow Singapore-based artists to have a platform for freedom of expression and creativity within the bounds of Singapore law, particularly with regard to censorship and the freedom of speech.
Singapore, non-fungible tokens, artistic expression, freedom of speech, censorship, laws, regulations, freedom of expression
NFTs censorship resistant, censorship or non-censorship of NFTs may affect Singapore, impact of Singapore if NFTs were not subjected to censorship