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Freedom on the Net 2025

Jordan

Partly Free
47
100
A Obstacles to Access 14 25
B Limits on Content 16 35
C Violations of User Rights 17 40
Last Year's Score & Status
47 100 Partly Free
Scores are based on a scale of 0 (least free) to 100 (most free). See the methodology and report acknowledgements.
Jordan_hero_map

header1 Key Developments, June 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025

Internet freedom in Jordan remained restricted. Communication platforms were blocked during school exams, and the Cybercrime Law was used to stifle freedom of expression online. Journalists, activists, and social media users continued to face prosecution, harassment, and surveillance in response to their online criticism of the government or commentary on sensitive topics.

  • In June 2024, Jordan’s Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) announced that messaging applications would be temporarily blocked through mid-July in order to prevent cheating during national academic exams. The blocking was only in place during the hours of the exams (A3).1
  • In May 2025, authorities blocked 12 online news outlets in a major crackdown on critical reporting. The outlets included Voice of Jordan, Raseef22, and London-based Middle East Eye; the blocking was apparently prompted by Middle East Eye’s reporting on allegations that the Jordanian government had been profiting from its delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip amid the war there. Jordan’s media commission accused the outlets of “spreading media poison and attacking Jordan and its national symbols” (B1).2
  • Authorities continued to use the 2023 Cybercrime Law to encourage self-censorship and pressure internet users to remove critical content. During the coverage period, journalists and activists were summoned to police stations or arbitrarily detained over their online activity, and they were often compelled to pledge their silence on sensitive topics, such as the war in Gaza, before being released (B2, B4, and C3).3
  • Several journalists and activists were sentenced to prison for their online activity during the coverage period, with the criminal charges focusing on content that was deemed to be critical of the government or its policies. In June 2024, journalist Hiba Abu Taha was sentenced to one year in prison for an online article in which she criticized Jordan’s relationship with Israel.4 In January 2025, it was reported that political activist Ayman Sandouqa had been sentenced to five years in prison for a social media post in which he criticized King Abdullah II’s policies toward Israel (C3).5

header2 Political Overview

Jordan is a monarchy in which the king plays a dominant role in politics and governance. The parliament’s lower house is elected, but the electoral system and limits on civil liberties put the opposition at a disadvantage; the chamber wields little power in practice. The media and civil society groups are hampered by restrictive laws and government pressure. The judicial system lacks independence and often fails to ensure due process.

This report has been abridged for Freedom on the Net 2025 due to ongoing budget constraints. Please consider making a donation to support future editions of this vital resource.

For additional background information, see last year’s full report.

A Obstacles to Access

A1 1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
Do infrastructural limitations restrict access to the internet or the speed and quality of internet connections? 5.005 6.006
A2 1.00-3.00 pts0-3 pts
Is access to the internet prohibitively expensive or beyond the reach of certain segments of the population for geographical, social, or other reasons? 1.001 3.003
A3 1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
Does the government exercise technical or legal control over internet infrastructure for the purposes of restricting connectivity? 4.004 6.006
A4 1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
Are there legal, regulatory, or economic obstacles that restrict the diversity of service providers? 3.003 6.006
A5 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
Do national regulatory bodies that oversee service providers and digital technology fail to operate in a free, fair, and independent manner? 1.001 4.004

B Limits on Content

B1 1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
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? 3.003 6.006
B2 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
Do state or nonstate actors employ legal, administrative, or other means to force publishers, content hosts, or digital platforms to delete content, particularly material that is protected by international human rights standards? 1.001 4.004
B3 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
Do restrictions on the internet and digital content lack transparency, proportionality to the stated aims, or an independent appeals process? 1.001 4.004
B4 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
Do online journalists, commentators, and ordinary users practice self-censorship? 2.002 4.004
B5 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
Are online sources of information controlled or manipulated by the government or other powerful actors to advance a particular political interest? 2.002 4.004
B6 1.00-3.00 pts0-3 pts
Are there economic or regulatory constraints that negatively affect users’ ability to publish content online? 1.001 3.003
B7 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
Does the online information landscape lack diversity and reliability? 3.003 4.004
B8 1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
Do conditions impede users’ ability to mobilize, form communities, and campaign, particularly on political and social issues? 3.003 6.006

C Violations of User Rights

C1 1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
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? 2.002 6.006
C2 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
Are there laws that assign criminal penalties or civil liability for online activities, particularly those that are protected under international human rights standards? 1.001 4.004
C3 1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
Are individuals penalized for online activities, particularly those that are protected under international human rights standards? 3.003 6.006
C4 1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
Does the government place restrictions on anonymous communication or encryption? 2.002 4.004
C5 1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
Does state surveillance of internet activities infringe on users’ right to privacy? 2.002 6.006
C6 1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
Does monitoring and collection of user data by service providers and other technology companies infringe on users’ right to privacy? 2.002 6.006
C7 1.00-5.00 pts0-5 pts
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
C8 1.00-3.00 pts0-3 pts
Are websites, governmental and private entities, service providers, or individual users subject to widespread hacking and other forms of cyberattack? 2.002 3.003

On Jordan

See all data, scores & information on this country or territory.

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Country Facts

  • Population

    11,290,000

  • Global Freedom Score

    34 100 partly free

  • Internet Freedom Score

    47 100 partly free

  • Freedom in the World Status

    Partly Free

  • Networks Restricted

    No

  • Websites Blocked

    Yes

  • Pro-government Commentators

    No

  • Users Arrested

    Yes