Georgia has been downgraded to ‘Partly Free’ in the US-based NGO Freedom House’s 2026 internet freedom report, with the organisation citing restrictions on online activism and speech critical of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
The downgrade comes amid broader concerns about restrictions on freedom of expression in Georgia, including penalties imposed on people for their activity on social media.
Georgia lost its ‘Free’ status in Freedom House’s annual Freedom on the Net report for the first time since 2012, amid what the organisation describes as growing pressure on online expression.
In its 2026 report, Seismic Shifts on the Global Internet, Freedom House said Georgian authorities had continued to suppress online activism and speech perceived as critical of Georgian Dream. The country received 68 points out of 100, down from 70 in 2025 and 78 in 2022.
The report covers the period from 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2026. Freedom House assesses internet freedom across three main areas: barriers to internet access, restrictions on online content, and violations of users’ rights.
‘Georgia’s status changed from Free to Partly Free, as authorities continued to suppress online activism and speech perceived to be critical of the ruling Georgian Dream party’, Freedom House said in its report.
During the reporting period, several Georgian public figures and journalists were fined thousands of lari over their Facebook posts.
Freedom House’s overall assessment measures more than whether people can access the internet. It also examines the extent to which they can express their views freely, access diverse information, and use digital platforms without facing surveillance, harassment, or legal repercussions.
Georgia first appeared in Freedom House’s Freedom on the Net assessment in 2009 and was initially classified as ‘Partly Free’. It moved into the ‘Free’ category in 2012 and retained that status through the 2025 report.
However, the country’s score has declined every year since 2022, falling from 78 points to 68 in the 2026 assessment.
Under Freedom House’s methodology, countries scoring between 70 and 100 points are classified as ‘Free’, those scoring between 40 and 69 as ‘Partly Free’, and those scoring between zero and 39 as ‘Not Free’.
Despite its downgrade, Georgia received the highest score among the five countries assessed in the report’s Eurasia grouping. Ukraine scored 64, Kyrgyzstan 45, Belarus 21, and Russia 16.
Source: Freedom House
Freedom House found that internet freedom declined globally for the 16th consecutive year. Of the 38 countries assessed in the 2026 report, 16 experienced a deterioration in internet freedom, while eight recorded improvements.
Iran experienced the sharpest decline, joining China and Myanmar among the countries with the most restrictive online environments. Estonia was rated as having the freest internet.
Freedom House warned that governments across different political systems were creating new barriers to accessing information and expressing views online.
The 2026 edition assessed 38 countries, covering approximately 70.9% of the world’s internet users. The organisation measures internet freedom through access restrictions, limitations on online content, and violations of users’ rights.