Argentina
| A Obstacles to Access | 20 25 |
| B Limits on Content | 27 35 |
| C Violations of User Rights | 23 40 |
Internet freedom in Argentina remained relatively robust, with strong legal protections for online expression and access to online content. However, the environment for independent reporting online has grown more hostile in recent years. Journalists faced significant harassment by government figures on social media1 alongside an influx in spurious lawsuits, many of which were initiated by President Javier Milei.2
This report has been abridged for Freedom on the Net 2026. Please consider making a donation to support future editions of this vital resource. For additional information, see the 2024 full report and 2025 abridged report.
- 1Cristina Zahar, “Argentinian journalism stifled by President Milei’s public attacks, government repression,” Committee to Protect Journalists, January 16, 2026, https://cpj.org/2026/01/argentinian-journalism-stifled-by-president-mil…; Foro de periodismo Argentino (FOPEA), “Escalada de agresión presidencial a la prensa en general [Escalation of presidential aggression towards the general press],” April 5, 2026, https://monitoreo.fopea.org/comunicados/escalada-de-agresion-presidenci…; Department of Communication Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires, Federación Argentina de Trabajadores de Prensa (FATPREN), and Sindicato de Prensa de Buenos Aires (SiPreBA), “Informe sobre libertad de expresión en Argentina 2025 [Report on freedom of expression in Argentina in 2025],” December 2025, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JJoU8v4QQIdVNyNQ9bQvZO72YwaaEyD5/view.
- 2Department of Communication Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires, Federación Argentina de Trabajadores de Prensa (FATPREN), and Sindicato de Prensa de Buenos Aires (SiPreBA), “Informe sobre libertad de expresión en Argentina 2025 [Report on freedom of expression in Argentina in 2025],” December 2025, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JJoU8v4QQIdVNyNQ9bQvZO72YwaaEyD5/view; Romina Lema, “Milei arrincona al periodismo argentino crítico con el Gobierno [Milei corners Argentine journalism critical of the government],” El Salto, February 10, 2026, https://www.elsaltodiario.com/argentina/milei-arrincona-al-periodismo-a….
| Do infrastructural limitations restrict access to the internet or the speed and quality of internet connections? | 6.006 6.006 |
| Is access to the internet prohibitively expensive or beyond the reach of certain segments of the population for geographical, social, or other reasons? | 2.002 3.003 |
| Does the government exercise technical or legal control over internet infrastructure for the purposes of restricting connectivity? | 6.006 6.006 |
| Are there legal, regulatory, or economic obstacles that restrict the diversity of service providers? | 4.004 6.006 |
| Do national regulatory bodies that oversee service providers, digital platforms, and the internet more broadly fail to operate in a free, fair, and independent manner? | 2.002 4.004 |
| Does the state block or filter, or compel service providers to block or filter, internet content, particularly material that is protected by international human rights standards? | 5.005 6.006 |
| Do state or nonstate actors employ legal, administrative, or other means to force publishers, digital platforms, content hosts, or other intermediaries to delete content, particularly material that is protected by international human rights standards? | 3.003 4.004 |
| Do restrictions on the internet and digital content lack transparency, proportionality to the stated aims, or an independent appeals process? | 3.003 4.004 |
| Do journalists, commentators, and ordinary people practice self-censorship online? | 3.003 4.004 |
| Are online sources of information controlled or manipulated by the government or other powerful actors to advance a favored interest? | 2.002 4.004 |
| Are there economic, regulatory, or other constraints that negatively affect individuals’ ability to publish content online? | 2.002 3.003 |
| Does the online information landscape lack diversity and reliability? | 3.003 4.004 |
| Do conditions impede individuals’ ability to form communities, mobilize, and campaign online, particularly on political and social issues? | 6.006 6.006 |
| Do the constitution or other laws fail to protect rights such as freedom of expression, access to information, and press freedom, including on the internet, and are they enforced by a judiciary that lacks independence? | 4.004 6.006 |
| Are there laws that assign criminal penalties or civil liability for online activities, particularly those that are protected under international human rights standards? | 2.002 4.004 |
| Are individuals penalized for online activities, particularly those that are protected under international human rights standards? | 4.004 6.006 |
Score Change: The score declined from 5 to 4 because online journalists have increasingly faced spurious lawsuits and investigations, including suits initiated by Milei,1 and because a social media user was detained for more than a week after posting inflammatory content.2
- 1Ibid.
- 2
Bruno Martínez, “Seis meses detenido por un tuit contra Milei [Six months detained for a tweet against Milei],” Página 12, January 4, 2026, https://www.pagina12.com.ar/2026/01/04/seis-meses-detenido-por-un-tuit-…; “Ocho meses detenido: nuevo revés judicial para el jubilado chaqueño acusado de amenazar a Milei [Eight months detained: new legal setback for the Chaco retiree accused of threatening Milei],” Litigio Periodismo Judicial, March 3, 2026, https://litigio.com.ar/2026/03/03/el-jubilado-chaqueno-acusado-de-amena…; “La APDH manifiesta su profunda preocupación ante el nuevo agravamiento de la situación procesal del jubilado Daniel Vera [The APDH expresses its deep concern regarding the further deterioration of retiree Daniel Vera’s procedural status],” Asamblea Permanente por los Derechos Humanos, March 6, 2026, https://apdh-argentina.org.ar/declaraciones/la-apdh-manifiesta-su-profu….
| Does the government place restrictions on anonymous online communication or encryption? | 2.002 4.004 |
| Does state surveillance of internet activities infringe on individuals’ right to privacy? | 3.003 6.006 |
| Does monitoring and collection of user data by service providers and other technology companies infringe on individuals’ right to privacy? | 4.004 6.006 |
| Are individuals subject to extralegal intimidation or physical violence by state authorities or any other actor in relation to their online activities? | 3.003 5.005 |
| Are websites, governmental and private entities, service providers, or individuals subject to widespread hacking and other forms of cyberattack? | 1.001 3.003 |
Country Facts
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Population
46,230,000 -
Global Freedom Score
85 100 free -
Internet Freedom Score
70 100 free -
Freedom in the World Status
Free