A recent surge in online censorship in Türkiye has seen over 200,000 items blocked by courts in 2023, marking a six-fold increase from the previous year. The Free Web Türkiye platform accuses President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s administration of using censorship to obscure governmental misconduct and corruption, with nearly 198,000 domains, 14,680 news articles, and thousands of social media posts targeted. In a related move, Türkiye has extended its block on Instagram since August 2, citing the platform’s failure to comply with demands to block content supporting Kurdish militant groups and other controversial figures. President Erdogan has criticized social media platforms for alleged “digital fascism,” particularly in relation to content about Israel. The ongoing restrictions have sparked concerns about the suppression of dissent and control over the public narrative, affecting millions of users and causing significant economic losses. Read more here.
Source: Balkan Insight