Internet Freedom by Country: Best and Worst in 2026
A free and open Internet is a human right, but it is hardly guaranteed throughout the world. Today, we’re examining internet freedom by country — looking at the freest and most restrictive nations — plus how you can bypass censorship and unblock websites using a VPN.
Internet access has quickly become a necessary utility for people around the world. Understanding internet freedom by country helps clarify why being able to check e-mail or chat with friends is nice, but having the ability to see news reports or research different topics is what keeps us thriving on a daily basis. There are also considerations like data access for cell phone calls, which is often one of the few methods remote towns can use for contacting the rest of the world.
Secure your privacy online with these VPNs:
- NordVPN – Best for Internet Freedom – NordVPN is a trusted industry giant, with all the best encryption protocols and our favorite server network.
- Surfshark – Advanced censorship-breaking technologies have never been easier to use or more affordable.
- ExpressVPN – You don’t have to sacrifice speed for privacy online with ExpressVPN.
- IPVanish – Hide your identity online and regain your freedom with this lightweight VPN.
- VyprVPN – The unique Chameleon protocol is all but impossible to trace, beating DPI with ease.
Not all internet access is created equal, unfortunately. A variety of factors shape how people go online in different countries, and internet freedom by country varies dramatically depending on where you live. The largest factor is usually government and corporate-level interests. Depending on where you live net neutrality isn’t a guarantee. We’ve gathered some of the best and worst examples of internet freedom by country below so you know where you’re safe and where you need to take extra privacy precautions.
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Comparison of Internet Freedom by Country: Best and Worst
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The table below draws on Freedom House’s Freedom on the Net 2024 report, which scores countries on a scale of 0–100 (higher scores mean more freedom). Countries are labeled Free (100–70), Partly Free (69–40), or Not Free (39–0). The scores reflect conditions assessed through mid-2024.
Top 10 Countries for Internet Freedom (Freedom on the Net 2024)
| Country | Score (out of 100) | Status | Key Reason for Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iceland | 95 | Free | Constitutional free speech protections, minimal filtering, near-universal fiber access |
| Estonia | 94 | Free | Digital-first governance, strong legal protections, very low censorship |
| Costa Rica | 83 | Free | Open access environment, strong civil liberties, limited government interference online |
| Canada | 83 | Free | High connectivity, net neutrality commitments, limited content filtering |
| Germany | 80 | Free | Strong legal framework, high broadband penetration, limited political censorship |
| Taiwan | 80 | Free | Open internet environment, robust civil society protections, fast infrastructure |
| United Kingdom | 79 | Free | High connectivity and press freedom, though expanding content-filtering legislation |
| United States | 78 | Free | Broad access, limited censorship, though net neutrality and surveillance remain contested |
| France | 78 | Free | High connectivity, strong press freedom tradition, some content regulations |
| Japan | 76 | Free | Fast, reliable infrastructure, limited government censorship of online content |
Bottom 10 Countries for Internet Freedom (Freedom on the Net 2024)
| Country | Score (out of 100) | Status | Key Reason for Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Korea | ~2 | Not Free | Virtually no public internet; most citizens can only access a tightly controlled state intranet |
| Turkmenistan | 5 | Not Free | Near-total state control; single state-operated ISP; pervasive surveillance of all users |
| China | 9 | Not Free | Great Firewall blocks tens of thousands of sites; all major foreign platforms banned |
| Myanmar | 14 | Not Free | Military junta-imposed shutdowns and mass arrests of online critics since 2021 coup |
| Iran | 16 | Not Free | Heavy censorship, deliberate throttling, repeated full shutdowns, widespread VPN blocking |
| Russia | 21 | Not Free | Thousands of sites blocked; independent media banned; aggressive VPN crackdowns |
| Cuba | 22 | Not Free | State-controlled, expensive access; political speech heavily monitored and legally penalized |
| Saudi Arabia | 24 | Not Free | Extensive content filtering; activists routinely prosecuted for online speech |
| Belarus | 27 | Not Free | Post-2020 protest crackdowns; shutdowns during unrest; journalists arrested for online reporting |
| Ethiopia | 29 | Not Free | Recurring internet shutdowns during conflict; political content filtered; low overall access rates |
What Is a Free and Open Internet?
The internet started as a free and open system. “Free” in this context means unrestricted, while “open” hints at a lack of barriers or controls. Having both means everyone can log on, look at any website they want and download any file they want, all without third parties shaping their experience. Internet freedom by country varies enormously depending on how governments and corporations choose to exercise their power over connectivity.
Lack of Censorship
Censorship is arguably the biggest threat to a free and open internet. Governments in dozens of countries actively interfere with what their citizens can search for online. In most places these blocks are simple filters for sexually explicit content, but in others it extends to all areas of life.
China is the most extreme example of restricted internet freedom by country. If you search for something the Chinese government doesn’t want you reading about, your access is blocked. Foreign news websites and social media are also restricted, forcing citizens to use domestic, government-approved services while cutting off contact to the outside world.
Another important factor in the open internet is data neutrality. It’s far too easy for internet service providers (ISPs) to look at packets of data and change the speed at which they travel depending on their destination. If the ISP has a deal with a video streaming company, for example, it can artificially slow down all video streaming traffic that goes to competing companies, thus encouraging people to use the service that paid for extra attention.
No Fast Lanes or Package Upgrades
Related to the above issues, ISPs shaping traffic based on packet inspection and corporate deals is an immediate loss of online freedom. All information should be processed at the same speed. You also shouldn’t be restricted from visiting certain sites based on arbitrary packages designed by ISPs to bring in more income.
Methods of Reducing Internet Freedom by Country
The chief factor in how open a country’s internet connection is directly relates to governmental control. In general, the more hands-on the government is, the worse online freedoms will become, especially under broad internet freedom restrictions. Below are a few of the more common methods deployed to control web access for citizens around the world.
Blocking and Filtering
An increasing number of governments have set up country-level filters that affect all internet connections entering and leaving their jurisdiction. These mechanisms are generally used to block illegal activities like gambling, under-age x-rated content, or blatant copyright infringement. Too often, though, governments extend their reach by targeting a wider range of information, restricting things like hot button political topics, social issues, or human rights. These efforts quickly dive into freedom of speech violations and turn an open internet connection into a closed system.
Internet Shutdowns and Regional Blackouts
One of the most disruptive modern tactics is the complete or partial shutdown of internet service — often timed to elections, protests, or civil unrest. Rather than filtering specific content, governments simply cut off connectivity for entire regions or the whole country. India has ordered more documented shutdowns than any other democracy, while Myanmar’s military junta imposed prolonged nationwide blackouts following its 2021 coup.
Iran shut down mobile internet during the 2019 fuel protests, and Ethiopia has severed connectivity repeatedly during internal conflicts. Shutdowns differ from filtering because they don’t just hide information — they silence communication entirely, including emergency services and economic activity. This tactic is one of the most damaging to internet freedom by country rankings.
App-Specific Blocking of Platforms and VPNs
Rather than blocking the entire internet, many governments now target specific applications: social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, and TikTok; messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal; VoIP services like Skype and WhatsApp Calling; and, increasingly, VPNs themselves. This approach is more surgical than a full shutdown and harder for ordinary users to detect or work around. Russia has blocked or throttled dozens of platforms since 2022. Iran maintains a blocklist of hundreds of apps. China’s Great Firewall operates almost entirely on app- and platform-level blocking rather than wholesale internet cuts.
Deliberate Throttling and Service Degradation
A subtler tactic involves slowing down specific services rather than blocking them outright. Governments or state-affiliated ISPs can throttle video streaming, reduce speeds on foreign news sites, or degrade VPN tunnels just enough to make them unusable without triggering a clear block. This gives authorities plausible deniability — a connection technically “works,” but the user experience is so poor that people abandon the restricted service on their own. Iran is well documented for using speed throttling as a censorship tool, and Russia has applied deliberate slowdowns to Twitter and other platforms before moving to harder blocks.
Attacking Activists
No matter the level of censorship in a country, there’s always a group of people who fight back. Progressive nations use this opportunity to discuss the issues at hand, but other, more authoritarian ones simply attack the dissidents to silence their voices. There’s no shortage of reports of journalists being arrested, religious activists getting silenced, or cyberattacks against vocal critics of the government in countries that practice these methods.
Surveillance
One of the most frightening methods of crippling internet freedom is to monitor web users and their online activity. This likely takes place as a covert operation in most developed nations, including across the EU and United States. Surveillance infringes upon basic online freedoms and can lead to quiet forms of censorship or even arrests.
LEARN MORE: Understanding the Five, Nine, and Fourteen Eyes Surveillance Groups
Takedown Requests and Liability
If a government or other controlling entity doesn’t like a piece of content, they simply remove it from the internet. No need to block user access if the content doesn’t exist. They can also hold hosting companies liable for the content they display, creating a sort of self-censoring network that’s afraid to step on anyone’s toes for fear of legal recrimination.
Paid Commentators Manipulating Discussions
A less violent but more subversive way of manipulating online freedoms is to control discussions through paid commentators. If you’ve ever talked about a high profile topic on social networks, forums, or article comment sections, you may have encountered one of these paid entities (colloquially known as “trolls” and “shills”). Their only job is to quietly push the discussion in a certain direction, often simply by mirroring what a certain group says in an effort to artificially boost their numbers. This creates the false impression that “everybody thinks that way”, which has a snowball effect on public opinions.
How Internet Freedom by Country Is Measured
The country rankings in this article are drawn from Freedom House’s Freedom on the Net report, which is published annually and is one of the most widely cited independent assessments of internet freedom worldwide. Understanding how the scores are produced helps you interpret why one country ranks above another when comparing internet freedom by country.
Freedom House evaluates each country across three core categories:
- Obstacles to Access – Covers infrastructure availability, affordability, government efforts to block connectivity, and whether the legal and regulatory environment allows independent ISPs to operate. A country with expensive, state-monopolized service scores poorly here even before censorship is considered.
- Limits on Content – Examines website blocking, filtering of political and social topics, self-censorship by media outlets, and manipulation of the online information environment through paid commentators or propaganda.
- Violations of User Rights – Looks at surveillance laws, legal protections for online speech, prosecution of users for online activity, and technical attacks on activists or journalists.
Each category contributes to a final score out of 100, with higher scores indicating greater freedom. Countries scoring 70–100 are labeled Free, 40–69 are Partly Free, and 0–39 are Not Free.
It is worth noting that other indices may rank countries differently because they weight specific issues — such as VPN availability, adult-content blocking, or the legality of torrenting — more heavily than Freedom House does. That is why lists can vary across publishers, and why it is always worth checking which methodology sits behind any ranking you read.
Best Countries for Internet Freedom by Country
The good news is not every government is interested in controlling their people. Open access to the internet has been guaranteed in a number of countries, often extending so far as to ban the above methods of subversive control. According to Freedom House’s Freedom on the Net 2024 report, the following nations rank among the highest for internet freedom by country.
1. Iceland
Iceland is the top-ranked country in the Freedom on the Net 2024 report, scoring 95 out of 100. Censorship is prohibited by the country’s constitution, and the only type of web filtering carried out by local ISPs is blocking illegal explicit content, most of which is handled on a per-case basis as reported by decency organizations. Iceland has also positioned itself as a privacy-friendly jurisdiction for data hosting, making it a model for internet freedom by country standards globally.
2. Estonia
Estonia ranks second with a score of 94 out of 100 in 2024. The eastern European country has embraced the digital world as part of its national identity, pioneering e-governance and digital public services. Censorship and freedom of expression are both protected by the country’s constitution. The government maintains a list of gambling-related sites blocked by local ISPs, but political and social content is left unrestricted.
3. Costa Rica
Costa Rica earns a score of 83 out of 100 in the Freedom on the Net 2024 report, placing it among the top three globally. The country maintains an open internet environment with strong civil liberties protections, minimal government interference in online speech, and no significant history of content blocking or targeted surveillance of ordinary users.
4. Canada
Canada scores 83 out of 100 in 2024, reflecting its high connectivity rates and longstanding net neutrality commitments. Neutrality issues have been debated for years, most of which center around throttling and preferential packet treatment by several of the provinces’ telecoms. For readers following newer policy debates, Canada news censorship is another issue worth watching.
RELATED READING: Are VPNs legal in Canada?
5. Germany
Germany scores 80 out of 100 in the Freedom on the Net 2024 report. The country benefits from a strong legal framework that protects online speech, high broadband penetration across both urban and rural areas, and limited political censorship. Content restrictions that do exist are generally narrowly scoped — focused on illegal material such as child exploitation content and Nazi propaganda — rather than broad political filtering.
Worst Countries for Internet Freedom by Country
Free and open internet access isn’t a worldwide phenomenon. The countries below have been ranked as the most restrictive places for using the web according to the Freedom on the Net 2024 report. They engage in everything from censorship to site blocking, traffic throttling, search result shaping, surveillance, and more. Similar precautions apply if you’re researching Turkmenistan browsing access. If you live in or visit any of the countries below, use a VPN and be careful what you search for.
1. North Korea
North Korea represents the most extreme case of restricted internet freedom by country, scoring approximately 2 out of 100 in 2024. Virtually no public internet access exists for ordinary citizens. Instead, most North Koreans can only access Kwangmyong, a tightly controlled state intranet that contains government-approved content and no connection to the global web.
Foreign websites, social media, and independent news are completely inaccessible. Elite government and military personnel have supervised access to the real internet, but for the general population the concept of browsing freely simply does not exist.
2. Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan scores just 5 out of 100, making it one of the most closed internet environments on earth. The country operates through a single state-run ISP, giving the government complete control over what citizens can access. Broadband speeds are among the slowest in the world, costs are prohibitive relative to average incomes, and pervasive surveillance means that even using a VPN carries serious legal risk. Most social media, foreign news outlets, and messaging apps are blocked.
3. China
China is famous for its Great Firewall, the government-level censorship filter placed on the country’s internet that prevents anyone from searching for “objectionable” content. The government decides what is objectionable, and as you might have guessed, it’s largely related to anti-government sentiments, foreign news sites, social media publications, and other worldwide material. Over 18,000 websites are specifically blocked from the mainland, forcing citizens to use the few VPNs that still work in-country to access anything of value outside of China. China scores 9 out of 100 in the Freedom on the Net 2024 report, placing it near the very bottom of all internet freedom by country assessments.
4. Myanmar
Since the military coup in February 2021, Myanmar has become one of the world’s most repressive online environments, scoring 14 out of 100 in 2024. The junta has imposed prolonged internet shutdowns across entire regions, blocked social media platforms including Facebook — which is the primary way most Burmese citizens access the internet — and arrested hundreds of people for online speech. Journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens have faced prosecution for posts criticizing the military government.
5. Iran
Iran scores 16 out of 100 in the Freedom on the Net 2024 report. Nearly two-thirds of the population has internet access, but the connection they use is heavily restricted. Speed throttling is used as a deliberate censorship tool, making foreign platforms so slow they become practically unusable.
The government has imposed nationwide internet shutdowns during major protests, most notably during the 2019 fuel protests and the 2022 Mahsa Amini uprising. All data undergoes deep packet inspection, VPNs are widely blocked, and online dissent routinely leads to arrest. Iran’s approach illustrates how internet freedom by country can deteriorate rapidly under authoritarian pressure.
6. Cuba
Cuba scores 22 out of 100 in 2024. Internet access exists but is expensive, slow, and entirely state-controlled through the government-run ETECSA monopoly. While mobile internet has expanded in recent years, the more accurate picture is one of heavily censored access with serious legal risk attached to online speech.
Cubans who post political criticism or organize dissent online face prosecution under broadly worded laws covering public disorder and contempt of state institutions. The 2021 protests saw the government shut down social media platforms and messaging apps to suppress coordination. Self-censorship is widespread as a result.
7. Russia
Russia scores 21 out of 100 in 2024. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has dramatically escalated its censorship apparatus. Independent news outlets have been blocked or forced to shut down. Social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X have been blocked or restricted.
The government has cracked down heavily on VPN providers and has passed laws requiring them to connect to state infrastructure, effectively compromising their privacy protections. Citizens face criminal prosecution for social media posts that contradict official narratives about the war. Russia’s trajectory shows how quickly internet freedom by country rankings can collapse when governments prioritize control over openness.
SEE ALSO: Best VPNs for Iran
Regaining Internet Freedom with a VPN
No matter which country you live in, chances are you can use a VPN to restore some of your online access. VPNs help anonymize your connection and break through censorship barriers by using complex encryption algorithms that wrap each packet of data in unbreakable code. These make it difficult for government to see what you’re doing or where you’re located, allowing open access to the internet without fear of being watched or traced. This is especially valuable in nations that score poorly on internet freedom by country indices.
The downside is that many of the worst countries for internet freedom actively block VPNs from web access entirely. The list of forbidden services changes on a regular basis, too, which means you can never be sure which VPN is ok and which is blocked. This is especially true in nations that rank poorly for internet freedom by country assessments.
There are thousands of VPNs to choose from, some of which are better than others. To help you choose the best one, we’ve gathered a few of the most important criteria below. Put these high on your research list to ensure your VPN is the right one for the job.
- Jurisdiction – Where a VPN company is registered has an enormous effect on how private it truly is. Choose VPNs associated with the best internet freedom countries above for improved privacy.
- Kill switches and DNS leak protection – These two features help prevent accidental identity reveals.
- Logging policy – VPNs can keep traffic data, which can fall into the wrong hands. To ensure real privacy, always choose a VPN with a zero-logging policy.
- Server selection – The more servers a VPN has, the better your options for a non-local connection.
1. NordVPN
- Unblocks US Netflix, iPlayer, Amazon Prime and other streaming services
- Fast and stable connections
- Zero leaks: IP/DNS/WebRTC
- Strict zero logs policy on both traffic and metadata
- Live chat support is available.
- Some servers can be slow and unreliable
- They can take 30 days to process refunds.
NordVPN‘s network of servers is one of the largest in the world. The list is constantly changing as NordVPN expands, but at the time of writing it includes over 5,700 servers in 60 different countries, making it perfect for fast connections in just about any city. On the privacy side of things, NordVPN comes with 256-bit AES encryption, kill switch and DNS leak protection features, and a great zero-logging policy that ensures your data never falls into the wrong hands.
You’ll also be able to take advantage of exclusive NordVPN features like double encryption and onion over VPN routing, both of which are amazing tools to keep your connection open and free — particularly useful when traveling to countries with poor internet freedom by country scores.
Read our full NordVPN review.
2. Surfshark
- Every server optimized for unblocking Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, and more
- Multi-hop connections readily available
- Unlimited simultaneous connections–Protect your whole family!
- Based in the British Virgin Islands, where there are no data retention laws
- Support staff manned by actual human beings 24/7.
- Growing network doesn’t have same coverage as more mature VPNs
- New-kid-on-the-block status may not instill same trust as larger providers.
Surfshark was built specifically with access to the free and open Internet in mind. Yes, you could reasonably say that about most VPNs, but this provider really delivers. For example, you could go to China, log onto Surfshark, activate their special NoBorders mode, and unblock social media and streaming sites as though you were in the US. It really is that simple in most cases!
But there’s plenty for power users, as well. Surfshark connects you to their server network via your choice of OpenVPN UDP or TCP, IKEv2, or the cutting-edge WireGuard protocol, using the unbreakable 256-AES-GCM cipher in all cases. Moreover, you can tailor each Wi-Fi connection you use with a specific VPN configuration — an unprecedented level of control.
Did we mention that their entire network (spanning 800+ nodes in 50 countries worldwide) is diskless, making data retention of your activities physically impossible? Moreover, Surfshark’s British Virgin Island jurisdiction enables them to truly make good on their promise of “no logging”.
3. ExpressVPN
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- Super fast, reliable connection
- Secure encryption & VPN protocols
- Keeps no logs of personal data
- 24/7 Chat Support.
- Priced slightly higher.
Fast internet is one of ExpressVPN‘s main selling points, but the service also offers an incredible array of privacy features, too. You’ll stay nice and safe with 256-bit AES encryption, a zero-logging policy that covers traffic, DNS requests, and IP addresses, and have both an automatic kill switch and DNS leak protection on every device.
These features are available on the entire worldwide network (which spans an incredible 3,000 nodes in 94 countries), all accessible from friendly, custom-made software for both PC and mobile devices. Best of all, ExpressVPN is known to be one of the more reliable services for access in freedom-restricted places like China and Syria, making it a strong choice for preserving the open internet around the world.
Read our full ExpressVPN review.
4. IPVanish
Need privacy but aren’t willing to sacrifice speed? IPVanish is the VPN for you! If you’re ready to commit, the IPVanish annual discount can help you save on long-term privacy. The service does great things for heavy video streamers and torrent fans, opening the door to anonymous connections that are fast and surprisingly reliable. With IPVanish you get access to a network of over 1,300 servers in 75 locations around the world, all secured with 256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection, and a zero-logging policy on all traffic. Want to change things up by shuffling your non-local IP address? There’s a feature for that, and it makes it much harder for governments to track your activities, too!
Read our full IPVanish review.
5. VyprVPN
VyprVPN has some of the best privacy features of any VPN service, hands down. For starters, the company owns and operates its entire network of servers, giving you added privacy most competitors just can’t touch. Along with this is the unique Chameleon protocol that wraps packet metadata in an extra layer of encryption, defeating deep packet inspection to bypass censorship blocks. VyprVPN has an impressive server network, numbering 700+ nodes across more than 70 countries worldwide, offering thousands of IP addresses to spoof. With these features, along with VyprVPN’s standard 256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection, kill switch feature, and a zero-logging policy that covers traffic and DNS requests, you’re guaranteed to stay safe while surfing the open web.
Read our full VyprVPN review.
Conclusion
Each country’s stance on net neutrality and internet freedom by country policies is slightly different, and the laws are changing all the time. Staying informed about internet freedom by country developments is one of the best ways to protect yourself online. To make sure your internet stays as open and free as possible, join local fights for online freedoms, and keep a good VPN handy, just in case.
If you need a VPN for a short while when traveling for example, you can get our top ranked VPN free of charge. NordVPN includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. You will need to pay for the subscription, that’s a fact, but it allows full access for 30 days and then you cancel for a full refund. Their no-questions-asked cancellation policy lives up to its name.
