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In 2026, Internet freedom varies dramatically between countries. In some places, users can freely visit websites and express opinions, while in others, the government severely restricts online activity. According to the latest cloudwards.net survey, 11 countries received the highest rating of 92 points, including Belgium, Costa Rica, Timor-Leste and New Zealand.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is North Korea with a score of 0, and Russia, Pakistan, Iran and China with only 4 points each. Countries with the lowest Internet freedom (20 points or less) are located in Asia, Africa and Europe. The United States scored 64 points, ranking in the middle, alongside South Africa, Japan and Australia, while the United Kingdom and South Korea scored 52 and 32 points, respectively.
The Internet Freedom Scorecard takes into account four categories: torrents, adult content, political and civic content, and VPN access. Each category receives a score: full accessibility – 1, restricted – 0.6, blocked – 0.2, restricted and blocked at the same time – 0. The overall result is normalized to a scale from 1 to 100.
The reasons for censorship vary from protecting against hate speech to suppressing political discourse. In highly controlled countries, censorship and monitoring of the Internet are often used to control information flows. The consequences of violations depend on the laws of the country and may include fines, arrest or imprisonment. Most often, restrictions affect torrents, which are almost universally blocked due to copyright.
Censorship takes many forms. China’s firewall prevents access to politically sensitive information, including the 1989 Tiananmen Square events, and blocks Facebook, X, and YouTube. Other countries, such as Iran, Belarus, and Turkmenistan, control online expression to suppress protests. Some states temporarily restrict access to websites during elections or protests. Access to adult content is prohibited in a number of countries for moral or religious reasons, and VPNs are blocked in some countries, including China, North Korea, and Russia. Even in countries with high Internet freedom, the use of torrents is limited.
The freest countries on the Internet, with a score of 92, allow users to freely visit adult sites, social networks, political and civic platforms, and use VPNs, although torrent use remains restricted. There are seven European countries among them: Finland, Iceland, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Slovakia, and Liechtenstein. In Latin America, Costa Rica and Suriname have high rates, and in Oceania, New Zealand has the highest rates. Timor-Leste in Southeast Asia also stands out among Asian countries.
Countries with scores between 80 and 84 include Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland, Poland, and several countries in North and Central America. Some European countries, such as Austria, Andorra, and Croatia, restrict political and civic content.
The lowest ratings were given to North Korea (0), China, Russia, Pakistan, India, Myanmar, Turkmenistan, Bangladesh, and the Middle East and North Africa – Iran, Iraq, Syria, Oman, Yemen, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. These countries restrict or ban online political activity, VPNs, and adult content. Belarus is the only European country with a critically low level of online freedom.
In Ukraine, the Internet remains relatively free, but with certain restrictions due to the war with Russia. Pro-Russian and separatist websites are blocked, as well as resources that could undermine Ukraine’s position in the conflict. The Russian social networks VKontakte and Odnoklassniki are strictly prohibited. In addition, there is an anti-piracy program that obliges providers to block illegal content. Privacy legislation remains weak, and while the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, in practice it is restricted for reasons of national security, sometimes resulting in self-censorship of journalists or legal liability for certain online activities.
While content controls can help protect users and combat disinformation, many states overuse censorship. In countries with severe restrictions, citizens often risk fines, arrest, or imprisonment simply for expressing themselves online, with serious implications for user rights, freedom of speech, and the development of education and innovation.
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