Politics
Ethiopia Ranked “Not Free” in Freedom House’s 2026 Report
Capital Ethiopia · 5 hours ago · Read the Full Story on Capital Ethiopia
AI SUMMARY
Ethiopia scored 30 out of 100 and remained categorized as “Not Free” in Freedom House's 2026 Internet freedom report due to prolonged network shutdowns and restrictions on digital rights.
- Ethiopia received a score of 30 out of 100 in Freedom House's Freedom on the Net 2026 report, keeping its “Not Free” status.
- The report covers developments between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026.
- The assessment highlights a history of localized connectivity blackouts, including an 818-day shutdown in Tigray starting in November 2020.
- Other major historical disruptions noted include a 347-day disruption in Amhara starting in August 2023 and earlier multi-month blackouts in Oromia.
- Within Africa, Ethiopia's score of 30 ranks behind nations such as Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, and The Gambia.
- Freedom House scores below 40 as “Not Free,” 40 to 69 as “Partly Free,” and 70 to 100 as “Free.”
- Global internet freedom declined for the 16th consecutive year, with Estonia scoring 91 as the most open and China and Myanmar remaining the most restrictive.
- Freedom House calls for governments to uphold open internet access, independent oversight on digital surveillance, and transparent restrictions.
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