Several other services were blocked due to Internet censorship.
The Turkish authorities continue to tighten control over the Internet in the country, depriving citizens of access to independent information. As it became known, the telecommunications regulator in December 2023 banned the use of popular virtual private networks (VPNs).
VPN services allow users to hide their identity online and bypass government censorship to access blocked sites. Among those banned were such widely used programs as TunnelBear, Surfshark, Proton and CyberGhost.
Experts note that the restriction of Internet freedoms in Turkey has been going on for about 10 years. Authorities regularly block porn sites, as well as opposition media and resources critical of incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
According to a report by the Media and Law Studies Association , at least 35,066 domain names, 3,196 news articles, 2,090 social media posts, and 184 accounts were blocked in Turkey in 2022 alone.
Experts attribute the VPN ban to the upcoming local elections, which will be held on March 31, 2024. Of course, in this way, the ruling Justice and Development Party hopes to retain power in most provinces.
In June 2023, the Reuters news agency published an investigation exposing President Erdogan's son, Bilal Erdogan, in a corruption scandal. The day after the publication, the Turkish authorities blocked 47 tweets, 45 links to news articles and one YouTube video that linked to this material.
The Turkish authorities continue to tighten control over the Internet in the country, depriving citizens of access to independent information. As it became known, the telecommunications regulator in December 2023 banned the use of popular virtual private networks (VPNs).
VPN services allow users to hide their identity online and bypass government censorship to access blocked sites. Among those banned were such widely used programs as TunnelBear, Surfshark, Proton and CyberGhost.
Experts note that the restriction of Internet freedoms in Turkey has been going on for about 10 years. Authorities regularly block porn sites, as well as opposition media and resources critical of incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
According to a report by the Media and Law Studies Association , at least 35,066 domain names, 3,196 news articles, 2,090 social media posts, and 184 accounts were blocked in Turkey in 2022 alone.
Experts attribute the VPN ban to the upcoming local elections, which will be held on March 31, 2024. Of course, in this way, the ruling Justice and Development Party hopes to retain power in most provinces.
In June 2023, the Reuters news agency published an investigation exposing President Erdogan's son, Bilal Erdogan, in a corruption scandal. The day after the publication, the Turkish authorities blocked 47 tweets, 45 links to news articles and one YouTube video that linked to this material.
