More than gun control or welfare, climate change or foreign diplomacy, our president loves discussing “fake news.” And, as much as it pains me to admit, he has a point–well, at least half of a point.

It’s not that CNN and The Washington Post are fake, necessarily, just that their implicit biases often portray news with an undeniable political slant. The same is true, perhaps even more so, for the rightward leaning news outlets. Stories are written by backing facts into the corners of pages and beating them into roles that support their own political agenda. Americans are forced to read distinctly different versions of the “truth”; they’re forced to choose whether to wear not rose, but red and blue colored glasses.

And while the polarization of today’s political scene is toxic, and it needs to be addressed, there are those who don’t have that choice and are forced to wear blindfolds instead.  Across the world, there are people living under the thumb of authoritarian leaders, with access only to what state-run news outlets release. Because of this, internet censorship is undeniably an often slept-on global issue that requires both attention and immediate action.

The effects of censorship were observed on a global scale during the Arab Spring in late 2010. The area, historically restrictive of free speech, became increasingly repressive in the months leading up to the Arab Spring.  Public dissatisfaction with stagnant economies and recession was exacerbated by new social media outlets like Facebook, resulting in decreased public support of the government. Journalists and activists who reported on the increasing governmental abuses and low standard of living were jailed or killed, but their plight was largely ignored on a global scale until Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-immolation in Tunisia. That was the tipping point, and Al Jazeera, a Qatari news outlet, went so far as to live-stream the resulting riots, pressuring the Egyptian government to act humanely.

As coverage of the violence continued, the Egyptian government and its neighboring regimes — all in imminent danger — began to restrict these news and social media outlets. The level of censorship increased as the revolution continued, and civilians became increasingly engaged. Al Jazeera’s streams were eventually cut off during a government-imposed internet blackout that lasted five days. Without realizing it, the government’s censorship spurred on the protests regarding the declining economic situation and oil subsidy repeals; rather than staying inside, many middle-class Egyptians took to the streets to get information and ultimately joined the riots. In short, the violence that ensued was a direct effect of media censorship.

Even now, nearly ten years later, the Middle East remains one of the most heavily censored areas in the world. This is not to say, of course, that the efforts of the Arab Spring were entirely for naught. In their revolution, citizens of the Middle East brought to light a wounded system that, in an increasingly connected world, continues to dangerously fester. The protesters managed to share their struggles, which were being threatened with burial by the oppressive weight of censorship.

So while the attempt to establish a democratic presidency after the deposition of Hosni Mubarak was ultimately unsuccessful, it permanently changed the relationship between news outlets, freedom of the press, and the Middle East. The revolutionaries did their part, and it’s now time for governments to do theirs.

There are an estimated 4.4 billion people without internet access worldwide. The UN recognized this in a non-binding resolution in 2016, condemning governmental disruption of internet access. And although this recognition might be well-intended, it was ultimately merely a suggestion.

The only way to spread access to the internet and ensure a fair media representation in areas like the Middle East is through active funding and humanitarian work. It’s not enough to suggest the right to internet access, or even acknowledge it; it must be fully implemented. Freedom must not granted only to those who can afford it, and neither should the right to free speech and internet access — people shouldn’t be enslaved by their lack of knowledge.

Multi-national organizations need to fund the establishment of worldwide internet access and actively work with governments to establish media freedoms. Whether that’s through economic incentivizing for freedoms or restricting the international influence of authoritarian governments, it needs to happen. In doing so, “fake news” won’t necessarily be silenced, but neither will the people, and neither will the movements — like the ultimately unsuccessful Arab Spring–that attempt to bring positive change.