Pew study points to support for internet freedom in emerging countries
Majority of people surveyed in 22 out of 24 countries think government censorship of the internet is an important issue
Stuart Dredge
@stuartdredge
Wed 19 Mar 2014 10.00 EDT Last modified on Wed 12 Apr 2017 10.31 EDT
58% of people surveyed in Turkey see internet freedom as an important issue. Photograph: UGUR CAN/AFP/Getty Images
A survey covering 24 emerging countries by the US-based Pew Research Center has concluded that the populations in the majority of them strongly support internet freedom.
The organisation interviewed 21,847 people face-to-face for the study, asking them "How important is it to you that people have access to the internet without government censorship?"
Available answers included very important, somewhat important, not too important and not important at all, with the surveys conducted between 3 March and 1 May 2013.
"Majorities in 22 of 24 countries surveyed say it is important that people have access to the internet without government censorship," claims the report. "In 12 nations, at least seven-in-ten hold this view."
The 22 countries where a majority of people surveyed agreed that uncensored internet access is important range from Indonesia (where 55% said this) up to Venezuela (89%).
Only Uganda (49%) and Pakistan (22%) dipped below the 50% mark, meaning that a majority don't see internet censorship as an important issue.
"Opposition to government restrictions on the internet is especially common in several of the Latin American nations surveyed, including Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Bolivia," claims the report. "It is also widespread in the Middle Eastern nations of Lebanon and Egypt."
% saying it is important that people have access to the internet without government censorship. Source: Pew Research Center
Pew also concludes that support for internet freedom tends to be strong in countries with high rates of internet penetration, and weaker in countries with lower penetration rates like Indonesia and Uganda.
Russia, where a relatively low 66% of people surveyed said they see uncensored internet access as important, is one of the countries to buck that trend.
"In 14 nations, people ages 18-29 are more likely than those 50 or older to believe an uncensored internet is important," adds the report, although it points out that over-50s still tend to support internet freedom.
"Age gaps of 20 percentage points or more are found in Russia, Lebanon, Tunisia, Bolivia and Senegal. These age differences suggest that support for internet freedom will only become more widespread with the passage of time."