BBC steps up the fight against media clampdowns around the world
As media freedom faces starker declines in countries around the world, the BBC World Service has unveiled how services are adapting to reach audiences and the extreme measures individuals outside of the BBC take to access critical news and information.
According to the 2026 World Press Freedom Index from Reporters Without Borders (RSF), press freedom is at the lowest point in the last quarter of a century.
As the world is marking World Press Freedom Day (3 May), the BBC speaks to someone involved in smuggling technology and services into Iran to access media, and highlights the difficulties faced in accessing BBC news in some countries.
Fiona Crack, Global Director, BBC News, says: “We know that democratic values are under threat globally and this pressure goes hand-in-hand with the reduction in press freedom. Draconian actions taken by authorities around the world stop journalists doing their job and withhold information from people, increasing international instability and uncertainty. The BBC World Service is determined to provide for audiences who need us most and to find new ways of reaching them.”
The BBC World Service is fighting reductions in media freedom by providing for audiences in innovative and diverse ways combatting some of the restrictions put on populations and BBC staff.
Iran
In Iran, amid nationwide internet shutdowns, a clandestine network smuggling Starlink satellite technology into the country has emerged.
The BBC World Service has spoken to “Sahand”, not his real name, who says he has sent over a dozen contraband items to enable internet access into the country since January.
“If even one extra person is able to access the internet, I think it’s successful and it’s worth it,” says Sahand.
The Starlink devices Sahand sends to Iran are one of the most reliable ways of bypassing the shutdown.
Last year, the Iranian government passed legislation that made using, buying or selling Starlink devices punishable by up to two years in prison.
Sahand says the consequences could be severe if caught. “If I was identified by the Iranian regime, they might make those I’m in touch with in Iran pay the price,” he says.
Many Iranians bypass restrictions by using virtual private networks (VPNs) to access the internet to share and access independent information.
BBC News Persian has the largest audience of any international media inside Iran. At the start of the 2026 protests, BBC News Persian was reaching 27.5 million people each week on Instagram, almost half the adult internet population of Iran. Following the internet shutdown, audiences in the country fell sharply.
BBC News Persian responded to the internet shutdown by launching a temporary emergency lifeline radio programme and establishing a weekly newsletter. The team have also extended their television news coverage, offering increased live news to meet the demand for information during the war.
Staff who work for BBC News Persian are threatened, harassed and abused for their reporting. Last year saw an alarming increase in the harassment with family members in Iran being taken in for repeated interrogation and their passports confiscated.
Russia
Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, access to BBC News Russian in Russia has been severely restricted and the service’s website and most social media platforms are blocked. This action initially saw an audience drop of 95% across Russia. The numbers have since recovered significantly as the service works dynamically to reach their audiences, finding alternative platforms.
Like Iranians, audiences in Russia now use VPNs to access BBC content on the BBC News Russian website and on social platforms like Telegram, YouTube and Instagram.
BBC News Russian podcasts were banned on all platforms in Russia in 2022 and in response, they moved to YouTube. Since the Russian authorities’ subsequent intentional slowdown of YouTube in 2024, podcast output has also been made available on a dedicated Substack page.
BBC News Russian journalists also produce a weekday newsletter with mirror links to enable access to BBC content without the need for a VPN.
For many, their work has personal consequences. Several members of BBC News Russian staff have been labelled ‘Foreign Agents’ by Russia and are now at risk of criminal prosecution.
Belarus
In Belarus, there was an unprecedented post-election media crackdown in 2020.
According to the independent Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), 22 media workers are currently in prison. In the past six years, almost all independent publications and their social media pages have been blocked, banned and even declared extremist, effectively making it a crime for audiences inside Belarus to engage with them.
BBC News Russian journalists are no longer able to operate in Belarus.
The extremism designation has been imposed on BBC News Russian content, and all BBC sites have been blocked. As of March 2026, it is illegal for people in Belarus to share BBC News Russian content.
BBC News Russian are pivoting to social media to ensure audiences in Belarus continue to have access to independent news from the BBC.
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