Patterns and trends of global social media censorship: Insights from 76 countries

We investigated global social media censorship trends in this research, addressing three essential scholarly gaps: (a) Variations in censorship across countries, (b) the platforms most heavily impacted, and (c) the evolution of censorship over time. With a focus on eight frequently targeted platforms—Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, Telegram, Twitter, and Reddit—we scrutinized 360 instances of social media censorship spanning 76 countries from 2006 to 2023. Our findings illustrate a growing governmental control, particularly noticeable in the Global South, with Turkey (6.39%), Sri Lanka (6.11%), Venezuela (5.56%), and Pakistan (5%) at the top of the list of frequently censoring countries. Among the platforms, Facebook (22.22%) and YouTube (21.94%) bear the brunt. Moreover, the escalating control over social media since 2018 signals an emergent global digital authoritarianism. Discernible geographical disparities in platform-specific restrictions prompt reflection on the nexus between censorship and political motivations. Additionally, our results suggest a plausible correlation between censorship practices and prevailing political systems. Enhanced comprehension of this problem could be derived from an augmented focus on the underlying reasons for censorship. This study offers a foundational evaluation of global social media censorship, setting it apart from internet censorship and laying the groundwork for further exploration.