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

This article investigates global social media censorship trends from 2006 to 2023, focusing on variations across countries, the most affected platforms, and changes over time. Analyzing 360 government-imposed censorship incidents in 76 countries, the study finds that social media censorship is more prevalent in the Global South, with Turkey, Sri Lanka, Venezuela, and Pakistan among the most frequent censors. Facebook and YouTube are the platforms most commonly restricted, while Western countries tend to target TikTok more often. The research highlights a notable increase in censorship since 2018, suggesting a rise in digital authoritarianism linked to political systems and motivations. This foundational assessment distinguishes social media censorship from broader internet censorship and calls for further research into the ethical, political, and temporal dimensions of such restrictions.