2024 Internet Censorship Report

Annual Internet Censorship reports covering OONI data from July 2023 to June 2024 in 9 countries: Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

OONI Pi

The iMAP initiative works to establish a regional and in-country network of experts monitoring network interference and restrictions to freedom of expression online. Using the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) detection and reporting systems, the project maintains test lists. It collects real-time measurements of online interference, analysing findings to produce country-specific reports on internet censorship. This year’s report, covering data from July 2023 to June 2024, provides detailed insights into online freedom across the nine countries, highlighting critical trends in government-imposed network restrictions and censorship.

Key Findings in the Region

  • Newly blocked websites were found in Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Hong Kong (China), India and Vietnam. In contrast, no new censorship was detected in Thailand, Philippines, and Cambodia, although website blocking persists in these countries.
  • Most websites blocked were related to pornography and gambling; however, news media and political criticism websites were also found to be blocked in all countries.
  • Methods of blocking were primarily through DNS tampering, where network providers would serve a block page, ‘address not found’ error or unknown pages.
  • While some countries like Indonesia and Vietnam released official block lists, most government authorities or network providers do not actively notify when they censor critical or non-malicious websites.

Access all the reports here

Data is also available for download here.

A comprehensive glossary related to OONI can be accessed here.

How to use the reports

The report provides an overview of the state of internet censorship in a specific country. It is not meant to provide a direct comparison of measurements across countries or measurements among different website categories covered by the iMAP project.

Recommendations to audience:

  • Learn about supporting evidence related to internet censorship by reviewing research and case studies.
  • Understand the latest developments of internet censorship in terms of methods of blockings and the websites affected by censorship.
  • Support or advocate for changes in laws and policies to improve internet freedom.
  • Take action and get involved by spreading awareness, signing petitions, or joining initiatives that fight against internet censorship.

Contribute to the study

There are various ways one may contribute to the OONI measurements:

  • Testing: You may test on various platforms, both on Mobile (iOS and Android) and Desktop, including on the CLI on Linux platforms. The domains you test can be either randomly selected from the Citizenlab Test Lists or custom test lists specific to your needs.
  • Contribute to the test lists: You can contribute to the test lists on GitHub or on OONI.
  • Translate the OONI Probe to your local language here.
  • Participate in community discussions on the OONI’s Slack channel

Acknowledgements

Key partners and individuals to thank:

  • All of our iMAP partners:
    • Engagemedia who covers Philippines and Indonesia
    • Advocacy and Policy Institute (API) from Cambodia
    • Thai Netizens Network from Thailand
    • The Centre for Internet & Society (CIS) from India
    • Our anonymous researchers who cover Myanmar, Vietnam and Hong Kong
  • OONI
  • Local partners, activists, academicians, researchers, and anonymous users in the nine countries for their assistance in running the OONI Probe

Updated 22 October 2024