redazione 4 March 2024
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22 rights groups and journalists’ organisations jointly call on social media platforms to uphold the free expression rights of their users and resist state censorship

Ahead of Türkiye’s municipal elections on 31 March 2024, 22 rights groups and journalists’ organisations jointly call on social media platforms to uphold the free expression rights of their users and resist state censorship. They should also fully disclose all government requests to restrict accounts or content, and be transparent about informal government pressure to restrict content on their platforms.

The rights groups and journalists’ organisations also call on the Turkish government to cease pressuring online platforms to block content.

As important country-wide local elections loom, the Turkish authorities are once again intensifying efforts to control social media platforms through use of the restrictive internet law, demanding the blocking of content critical of the government. Social media platforms should take a firm, united stance against formal and informal pressure targeting expression protected under international human rights law and adopt heightened transparency in the face of increasing online censorship

 

Press release and full analysis available in English

 

Signed:

ARTICLE 19

Human Rights Watch

Access Now

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

Danish PEN

Digital Action

English PEN

European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)

European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)

Freedom House

International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)

International Press Institute (IPI)

Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA)

OBC Transeuropa

PEN America

PEN Canada

PEN International

PEN Norway

P24 Platform for Independent Journalism

SMEX

South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO)

Swedish PEN