Russia leads censorship, blocking media, apps, LGBTQ+ content

According to the Global Internet Censorship Index 2026, Russia leads the censorship ranking by blocking a wide range of content, including independent media, messaging apps, LGBTQ+ resources, and anti-censorship tools. The study tested 74 popular websites across 53 countries using residential proxies, and after removing false positives caused by anti-bot protections, analysed 58 sites to identify genuine censorship patterns.

It notes that countries typically do not block the entire internet but restrict specific categories of content based on political, cultural, or security priorities; national objectives shape what gets blocked. The UAE, Bahrain, Belarus, and Pakistan are also highlighted for notable restrictions, with Belarus targeting human rights organisations and independent journalism, and Pakistan focusing on encrypted communication tools.

The report highlights that, overall, adult content leads the blocks, VPNs and anti-censorship tools are frequently targeted, and that messaging platforms are restricted in various jurisdictions, including Telegram and WhatsApp web versions in Russia. It also observes that China appeared less restrictive in the data due to its Great Firewall, which may be underestimated by residential proxies.