Bhutan introduced internet access in 1999 and has since developed a regulatory framework that grants the government broad powers over online content. While political censorship is limited compared to neighboring countries, self-censorship is widespread, defamation laws have been used against online speech, and the state-appointed media regulator BICMA holds expansive authority to block websites and regulate communications.
Internet censorship and surveillance in Bhutan encompasses the legal, regulatory, and practical mechanisms through which the Bhutanese government controls and monitors online activity. Bhutan was one of the last countries in the world to introduce both television and internet access, doing so simultaneously in June 1999 during the celebrations of the Fourth King's Silver Jubilee.[1] Since then, internet penetration has grown rapidly — reaching approximately 86.8 percent of the population by January 2024 — but the regulatory environment has expanded in parallel, granting the state significant authority over online content and communications.[2]
While Bhutan does not engage in the systematic political censorship seen in countries such as China or North Korea, international observers have identified several areas of concern: the broad discretionary powers of the media regulator, the use of criminal defamation laws against online speech, high levels of self-censorship among journalists and citizens, and legal provisions that penalize criticism of the government or monarchy. Freedom House rated Bhutan as "Free" in its 2025 Freedom in the World report with a score of 68/100, while noting persistent problems with media self-censorship and restrictions on information access.[3]
Internet Infrastructure and Access
Bhutan's internet infrastructure is built on a limited number of international gateways, all of which pass through India. The country's primary connectivity runs through the narrow Siliguri Corridor (often called the "Chicken's Neck"), creating a single point of vulnerability. The Royal Government has pursued plans to establish an independent international internet gateway to improve redundancy, but as of 2025 this backup route had not been fully realized.[2]
Druknet, the nation's first internet service provider, was established in 1999 under Bhutan Telecom. The market has since expanded to include additional providers, though the state retains significant influence over telecommunications infrastructure. As of 2024, there were approximately 686,000 internet users in the country, with urban internet usage at 97 percent compared with 79 percent in rural areas.[2]
BICMA and Regulatory Framework
The Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority (BICMA) is the primary regulatory body governing communications and media. Originally established under the Bhutan Information, Communications and Media Act of 2006, its powers were expanded and consolidated under the Information, Communications and Media Act of 2018. BICMA's five members are directly appointed by the government, raising questions about its independence from political influence.[4]
The 2018 Act grants BICMA broad discretionary powers, including:
- Authority to block access to websites deemed harmful, offensive, illegal, or "antithetical" to Bhutanese values
- Power to intercept communications in the interest of national security
- Authority to take over communications services and facilities when considerations of "peace, stability and well-being" are invoked
- Power to issue or revoke permits to publish materials, show films, and perform dramas
- Authority to ban foreign publications in the national interest
The Rules and Regulations on Content, effective July 1, 2019, apply to all content disseminated by information and communications technology and media service providers within Bhutan. As of 2025, the government was pursuing amendments to strengthen enforcement of a zero-tolerance policy on pornographic and violent online content.[5]
Website Blocking
Freedom House has reported that the Bhutanese government "occasionally blocks access to Web sites containing pornography or information deemed offensive to the state," while noting that blocked content "typically does not extend to political content." However, the boundary between political and non-political content has sometimes been blurred in practice.[3]
The most prominent documented case of website blocking occurred in 2007, when BICMA temporarily blocked bhutantimes.com, a news and discussion forum. Government officials stated that forum discussions were excessively critical of Minister Sangey Nidup, the maternal uncle of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. The block was lifted by August 2007 following public criticism. International observers noted that BICMA's "censorship pattern appears to reflect individual sensitivities of people who may have been discussed online" rather than a systematic program of content filtering.[6]
Social Media and Defamation
Social media — particularly Facebook — has become the dominant platform for public discourse in Bhutan. However, its use for criticism of public figures or government policies has led to legal consequences under Bhutan's criminal defamation statutes. Articles 317 and 320 of the Penal Code criminalize defamation and libel, and these provisions have been applied to online speech.[7]
The landmark case involved journalist Namgay Zam, who in 2016 was charged with criminal defamation after sharing a Facebook post written by a woman about a property dispute involving a prominent businessman who was the father-in-law of Bhutan's Chief Justice. Zam and the post's author, Dr. Shacha Wangmo, were charged with libel and petty misdemeanor. This was the first time anyone in Bhutan had been taken to court over social media activity. The case attracted international attention from press freedom organizations including the International Press Institute and the Committee to Protect Journalists.[7]
Additionally, the Bhutan Civil Service Rules and Regulations explicitly prohibit civil servants from criticizing their agencies or the Royal Government, extending the culture of restraint into the online sphere for a significant portion of the working population.[8]
Self-Censorship
International press freedom assessments consistently identify self-censorship as the most significant constraint on free expression in Bhutan. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), more than 80 percent of Bhutanese journalists admit to self-censorship. Bhutan's ranking in the RSF World Press Freedom Index dropped from 33rd in 2022 to 152nd out of 180 countries by 2025 — a dramatic decline that RSF attributed to deepening self-censorship, limited information access, and legal intimidation.[9]
The National Security Act of 1992 forbids criticism of the king and the political system, creating a legal backdrop that discourages critical commentary even when prosecutions are rare. Freedom House's 2025 report noted that self-censorship extends beyond journalists to university students, who avoid discussing controversial political topics.[3]
Digital Drukyul and Surveillance Capacity
The Digital Drukyul Flagship Program, launched in 2019 with a budget of Nu 2.5 billion (approximately USD 30 million), aims to transform Bhutan into a digitally connected society. The program's stated goals include connecting over 1,084 government offices via fiber optic cable, creating a one-stop e-government portal, and strengthening cybersecurity capabilities.[10]
A central component is the National Digital Identity (NDI) system, which assigns a unique digital identity to all legal long-term residents, authenticated through digital signatures and biometric technologies. While the government presents NDI as an efficiency tool for public services, civil liberties observers have noted that comprehensive biometric identity systems can also function as surveillance infrastructure, particularly in small states with limited independent oversight mechanisms. As of 2025, no independent assessment of the surveillance capabilities embedded in Digital Drukyul has been published.[2]
Comparison with Regional Internet Freedom
Bhutan's internet environment is generally less restrictive than those of its immediate neighbors. China maintains one of the world's most comprehensive censorship regimes through the Great Firewall. India has increasingly used internet shutdowns, having imposed more such shutdowns than any other democracy. Nepal has periodically blocked social media platforms. By contrast, Bhutan does not employ systematic content filtering or routine internet shutdowns.
However, Bhutan is not included in Freedom House's dedicated "Freedom on the Net" index, which assesses internet freedom in depth for select countries. Its absence from this index means that comprehensive, granular data on Bhutan's internet freedom environment — covering categories such as obstacles to access, limits on content, and violations of user rights — is not independently tracked on an annual basis.[11]
See Also
- Media Landscape in Bhutan
- Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority (BICMA)
- Freedom of the Press in Bhutan
References
- Telecommunications in Bhutan — Wikipedia
- Bhutan — Digital Watch Observatory
- Bhutan: Freedom in the World 2025 — Freedom House
- Information, Communications and Media Act of Bhutan 2018 — International Federation of Journalists
- Rules and Regulations on Content 2019 — BICMA
- Government blocks local access to website — IFEX
- In Bhutan, a Facebook Post Leads to Defamation Charges — The Diplomat, August 2016
- Media independence, access to information and self-censorship of NGOs still an issue in Bhutan — CIVICUS Monitor
- Bhutan drops to 152nd in World Press Freedom Index — BBS, 2025
- Digital Drukyul — an ICT Masterplan for Bhutan — The Druk Journal
- Countries and Territories: Freedom on the Net — Freedom House
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