[UPDATED, Aug 2020] The arrival of COVID-19 has caused enormous distress and confusion around the world. Yet although the worst may now be over, many people in the ‘truth seeking’ world continue to question the official narrative of the pandemic and its causes, stimulating a draconian wave of public censorship which has severe implications for the future of free speech. Andy Thomas looks at how we can make sense of all the arguments and why they exist, and what the consequences of the current situation will be