United States
Free
73
100
| A Obstacles to Access | 20 25 |
| B Limits on Content | 28 35 |
| C Violations of User Rights | 25 40 |
Last Year's Score & Status
73
100
Free
Scores are based on a scale of 0 (least free) to 100 (most free).
See the methodology and report acknowledgements.
Internet freedom in the United States remained relatively robust, and the country’s legal framework still provides some of the world’s strongest protections for free expression online. However, restrictions on civic space have persisted. Federal authorities continued to exert pressure on digital activism and other online speech expressing criticism of the government.1 US officials continued to enforce steeper penalties on people for their online activities than in previous years.2 The government advanced some positive efforts to address online harms, as the TAKE IT DOWN Act—which criminalized the nonconsensual distribution of intimate images—took effect in May 2026.3
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.
- 1
See, e.g., Sheera Frankel and Mike Isaac, “Homeland Security Wants Social Media Sites to Expose Anti-ICE Accounts,” The New York Times, February 13, 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/technology/dhs-anti-ice-social-media…; Alan Feuer and Ernesto Londoño, “U.S. Investigated Left-Leaning Groups During Minnesota Immigration Crackdown,” The New York Times, August 13, 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/us/politics/dhs-inquiry-immigration-…; Carolina Abbott Galvão and Ridhi Setty, “The Astonishing Arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort,” Columbia Journalism Review, January 30, 2026, https://www.cjr.org/news/astonishing-arrests-don-lemon-georgia-fort-min….
- 2See, e.g., “LAWSUIT: Ex-cop sues after spending 37 days in jail for sharing meme following Charlie Kirk murder,” Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, December 17, 2025, https://www.fire.org/news/lawsuit-ex-cop-sues-after-spending-37-days-ja…; “Timeline: Reporter Mario Guevara’s arrest and ICE detention,” Committee to Protect Journalists, July 7, 2025, https://cpj.org/2025/07/timeline-reporter-mario-guevaras-arrest-and-ice….
- 3“FTC Begins Enforcing the TAKE IT DOWN Act,” Federal Trade Commission, May 19, 2026, https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/05/ftc-begins-….
A1
1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
| Do infrastructural limitations restrict access to the internet or the speed and quality of internet connections? | 6.006 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? | 2.002 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? | 6.006 6.006 |
A4
1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
| Are there legal, regulatory, or economic obstacles that restrict the diversity of service providers? | 4.004 6.006 |
A5
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| 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 |
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? | 6.006 6.006 |
B2
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| 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 |
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? | 3.003 4.004 |
B4
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Do journalists, commentators, and ordinary people practice self-censorship online? | 3.003 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 favored interest? | 2.002 4.004 |
B6
1.00-3.00 pts0-3 pts
| Are there economic, regulatory, or other constraints that negatively affect individuals’ ability to publish content online? | 3.003 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 individuals’ ability to form communities, mobilize, and campaign online, particularly on political and social issues? | 5.005 6.006 |
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? | 6.006 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? | 2.002 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? | 4.004 6.006 |
C4
1.00-4.00 pts0-4 pts
| Does the government place restrictions on anonymous online communication or encryption? | 3.003 4.004 |
C5
1.00-6.00 pts0-6 pts
| Does state surveillance of internet activities infringe on individuals’ 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 individuals’ right to privacy? | 4.004 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 individuals subject to widespread hacking and other forms of cyberattack? | 1.001 3.003 |
Country Facts
-
Population
333,300,000 -
Global Freedom Score
81 100 free -
Internet Freedom Score
73 100 free -
Freedom in the World Status
Free
