Far East: Turkmenistan’s Internet Monopoly and Repression
Григорий Захарьян
Turkmenistan, located in southwestern Central Asia, operates one of the most restrictive internet censorship regimes in the world. The state owns and controls all print and electronic media, and according to Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2025, more than 122,000 internet domains are blocked nationwide. Major platforms and messaging apps, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, TikTok, Discord, and Telegram, are blocked in Turkmenistan.
Additionally, in the 2025 report by Human Rights Watch, police often search students’ phones. The authorities interrogate parents of students who were discovered using VPNs, examining their devices for any activity related to banned social media platforms, and subsequently classify these families as “unreliable”.
According to Reporters Without Border’s press freedom index in 2025, Turkmenistan ranks 174th out of 180 countries, with one of the lowest internet penetration rates in the world and widespread government corruption and illicit activities. By April 2025, Turkmen authorities confirmed the resurgence of a grey-market VPN business, with access keys selling for around $50 per month and a comprehensive removal premium package for $2000 per month. The Department of Cyber Security, which is responsible for internet censorship, is also selling network access on the side. Moreover, Turkmen authorities are reportedly exploiting the internet crackdown to monopolize the private network market. The most recent reporting on July 16th, 2025 claimed that some officials behind this illicit business are deliberately blocking alternative access options to drive demand for their services.
This state-manipulated system of profit-making and internet censorship cannot be fully understood without a closer examination at Turkmenistan’s political history and the authoritarian structures behind it.
Political and Historical Context
Since achieving independence after the Soviet Union’s collapse on October 27, 1991, Turkmenistan has developed into one of the world’s most authoritarian states. Saparmurat Niyazov, the country’s first president, consolidated power swiftly and constructed an extensive cult of personality, by eliminating any opposition party, tightening supervision on civil society organizations, controlling all media and press, and dominating all branches of government, from the legislature to the judiciary.
Since 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Committee has raised serious concerns about politically motivated persecution in the country. Horrendous incidents occur in clusters. In September 2022, a fire deliberately set at Rinat Zainulin’s house seriously burned him. Zainulin is the brother of an exiled YouTube and TikTok activist. He was then held by police for 20 days and was forced to tell his brother that his action caused him to suffer from “a relative offence”. After release, he was fired for absenteeism while he was detained.
In 2022, according to the Vibrant Information Barometer (VIBE), Turkmenistan has the least developed telecommunication sector in Central Asia, as the state controls entirely and prevents foreign investment. Alongside internet censorship, 2024 data shows that Turkmenistan was among the top 20 countries globally with the slowest internet speed. At the same time, however, the country still has the 7th most expensive mobile data in the world.
Continued Repression
In late 2025, Turkmenistan’s state-controlled internet censorship system blocked another tens of thousands more sites nationwide. The corruption within officials is overwhelming. Authorities weaponized digital technologies for profits and as a tool to censor the citizens. According to WAGE CENTRE, the average monthly salary in Turkmenistan is around $435. Yet, to get VPN services and internet access, one must pay around $50 to $70 at least to obtain a slow-speed and partial service.
Security forces routinely detain individuals for online comments about the government and politically sensitive issues, reflecting a broader pattern of repression. Saddam Gulamov was sentenced to a long prison term in 2024 due to his comment on Turkmenistan’s authorities on a social platform, and reports allege that he is being treated under inhumane conditions.
Furthermore, former political prisoners face difficult situations after their release. One example is journalist for the Netherlands-based Turkmen.News, Nurgeldy Khalykov, who was put on an exit ban list by the migration services in 2025. He was unable to board a flight to the United Arab Emirates for his new job.
Under this environment of scarcity and surveillance of Turkmenistan, where only the political elite and their associates can enjoy accessing uncensored internet, ordinary citizens face technological isolation and lack of freedom of speech. The authoritarian regime is thus further isolating them from global information and civil society networks.
Conclusion
Turkmenistan’s internet censorship reflects an authoritarian structure with pervasive government-control, state monopolization, and the use of digital technologies for profit-making. As a consequence, ordinary citizens are forced to live with technological isolation, restricted access to information, and the constant threat of political persecution, leaving the population largely disconnected from global networks and opportunities for free expression.