In the recent report by the global democratic watchdog, Pakistan has been ranked 27 out of 100 in terms of internet freedom and has been declared “Not Free.” The report cited government efforts to increase censorship.
According to details, the Freedom House report by the U.S. organization, covering the period from June 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025, stated that authorities threatened to block Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and adopted amendments in cybercrime laws, which human rights groups have deemed prone to misuse.
On the other hand, countries like India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh are much more open and have been declared “Partly Free,” with freedom scores of 51, 53, and 45, respectively. No score could be obtained for Afghanistan.
At the bottom of the ranking are China, Myanmar, Iran, and Russia, with scores of 9, 9, 13, and 17, respectively.
The report stated that countries experiencing the worst decline in internet freedom over the past 15 years (Pakistan, Egypt, Russia, Turkey, and Venezuela) have tightened control over the online environment in response to challenges to their power.
Between 2011 and 2015, Pakistan’s internet freedom declined sharply, with its score rising from 55 to 69 (indicating reduced freedom). Since 2012, Pakistan’s status changed from “Partly Free” to “Not Free,” indicating growing restrictions.
Pakistanis complained during the reporting period about poor internet quality and barriers to accessing WhatsApp, Signal, and other platforms, possibly linked to the implementation of new website monitoring and blocking technologies, according to the report.
