Internet Freedom Indicators in Central Asia

Internet freedom remains one of the key indicators of democracy and human rights protection. The latest Cloudwards ranking showed: Central Asia lags behind global leaders.

Regional results Kazakhstan — 36 points Uzbekistan — 24 Kyrgyzstan — 52 Tajikistan — 56 Turkmenistan — only 16

For comparison: the top 11 countries with the highest freedom (92 points) include Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Slovakia, Costa Rica, Suriname, New Zealand, and Timor‑Leste.

At the other end of the ranking: North Korea scored zero, while Russia, Iran, and China each scored 4.

Researchers note: censorship is applied for various reasons — from combating harmful content (such as hate speech) to suppressing political dissent. In restrictive countries, users risk fines, arrests, and even imprisonment for online publications.

Evaluation factors The ranking was based on four criteria:

• availability of torrent services;

• adult content;

• ability to express opinions on social media and online platforms;

• presence or absence of VPN blocking.

Central Asia in context Even the best indicators in the region — Tajikistan (56) and Kyrgyzstan (52) — remain in the “middle zone.” For comparison, the US scored 64, the UK — 52, South Korea — 32. This shows that restrictions are not limited to authoritarian regimes; the trend toward excessive regulation is becoming widespread.