Internet censorship is gradually increasing across nations in the world. A new report from Comparitech – a UK-based research and comparison firm sheds light on the internet censorship practices followed by various countries and let me tell you, the results are intimidating.
To consolidate the study, the firm studied the restrictions and bans on torrents, pornography, social media, political media, and VPNs. They allotted points based on the restrictions. Two points were allotted for a complete ban and a single point for restrictions.
North Korea topped the list with a 10/10 censorship score. You won’t be able to legally access social media, watch porn, or use torrents or VPNs in the country. China came second with a 9/10 score. The only place where China lost a point was in torrent ban. The country restricts torrents but it has not banned torrents completely. Western social media is banned while Chinese social media platforms are allowed.
Russia, Turkmenistan, and Iran share the third position with an 8/10 score while Belarus, Turkey, Oman, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, and Eritrea come fourth at 7/10 score. Take a look at the top 15 list below.
Top 15 Worst Countries for Internet Censorship
1. North Korea
2. China
3. Russia
4. Turkmenistan
5. Belarus
6. Turkey
7. Iran
8. Oman
9. Pakistan
10. United Arab Emirates
11. Eritrea
12. Cuba
13. Bahrain
14. Bangladesh
15. Cambodia
In case you’re wondering, India scores 4/10. As TNW points out, internet shutdowns imposed by governments are not included in the study. If that was the case, India would score extra points as our country is unfortunately one of the leaders in internet shutdowns resulting in huge losses for businesses.
Check out the entire list here and let us know your thoughts on the internet censorship situation in the comments.
