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Thanks to an army of volunteers, citizens in Turkmenistan circumvent internet censorship under The Tor Project. In Ashgabat, Turkmenistan’s capital and largest city, ornate gold statues and marble-clad buildings set brilliantly against the horizon. The “City of White Marble” ostentatiously shows off the marble facades along its eight-lane highways, deserted boulevards and public buildings. But in a country where freedom of expression is heavily restricted, this opulence comes at a price. Overdimensioned infrastructure leaves one feeling vulnerable in the deserted streets, disengaged with other humans, and easy to spot in a congregation; it is a kind of surveillance without the cameras. But in the internet highways, the Turkmenistan government is indeed vigilantly watching over its citizens. Under-investment in internet infrastructure is intentional, with internet access deliberately being kept slow and unreliable compared to global standards. Infrastructure is especially underfunded and undeveloped in rural areas, where almost half the population of Turkmenistan lives. In January 2022, Turkmenistan’s internet penetration was the lowest in Central Asia at 38 percent of the total population, which translates to only 2.35 million internet users (out of a total population of 6.16 million), mainly concentrated in Ashgabat and other cities. For these internet users, internet censorship in Turkmenistan is daunting. The state not only controls the majority of print and broadcast media, it also supervises digital content and blocks access to websites. Academic freedom is almost non-existent. Independent journalists are subjected to “harassment, detention, physical abuse, and prosecution on trumped-up charges.” Even private discussions are highly restricted due to intrusive supervision by state security services, including physical surveillance, monitoring of telephone and electronic communications, and the use of informers. #digitalfreedom #digitalcensorship #humanrights #freedomofexpression #democracy #cities Continue reading 👇🏼