Gideon Sarpong, an Open Internet for Democracy leader and media practitioner from Ghana, recently published an article outlining a pattern of authoritarian leaders pressuring social media platforms to censor information. He reveals how these platforms have been complying with their demands. As more people rely on social media for news, censorship on these platforms has negatively impacted press freedom, human rights, and new democratic movements. The article calls for Facebook and other platforms to prioritize human rights and democracy in their operations and ensure the safety and freedom of expression of users on their platforms. The Open Internet for Democracy initiative, a joint project of the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), the National Democratic Institute (NDI), and the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) seeks to create a framework for Internet openness for democracy advocates to fight for more democratic societies.

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