Social media companies should resist intensifying efforts by Turkish authorities to control their platforms through demands that they block content critical of the government ahead of important municipal elections on March 31, 2024, Human Rights Watch, ARTICLE 19, and 20 other human rights and journalists’ groups said in a statement released today.
Social media companies have restricted access to critical content in response to a January 2024 court order, demonstrating a greater willingness to bend to government pressure, rather than challenge censorship requests where they violate international human rights law. This approach undermines the platforms’ responsibility to respect human rights under the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which include resisting pressure to restrict freedom of expression.