Suppression of dissent occurs when an individual or group which is more
powerful than another tries to directly or indirectly
censor,
persecute or otherwise
oppress the other party, rather than engage with and constructively respond to or accommodate the other party's
arguments or viewpoint. When
dissent is perceived as a threat, action may be taken to prevent continuing dissent or penalize
dissidents.
Government or
industry may often act in this way.