LAUNCH OF THE APP FREEDOM INDEX (AFI)

GreatFire Launches the App Freedom Index: A Landmark Step Toward Measuring App Censorship Worldwide

[12/19/2024] – GreatFire’s App Censorship Project is proud to introduce the App Freedom Index (AFI), a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to evaluate and compare global app freedom. With unprecedented research outputs, the AFI seeks to reveal how governments, platforms, and broader contexts restrict access to mobile applications, highlighting the urgent need for transparency in today’s digital landscape. In due course, this comprehensive tool aims to shed light on app censorship practices, and hold tech platforms accountable.


The App Freedom Index: Outputs and Insights

The AFI is a multi-phase initiative, built on years of research and testing. This launch brings together several key outputs that set the foundation for understanding app censorship and advocating for change:

  1. A White Paper: A foundational document that outlines the pressing challenges of today’s app store ecosystems. It details:

    • The growing influence of Apple’s App Store and Google Play as digital gatekeepers.
    • The role of government interventions and platform policies in restricting app access.
    • The rationale for creating the AFI to shed light on opaque practices and highlight global app freedom trends.

  1. Simplified 2024 Methodology: A rigorous, data-driven approach using:

    • 1,000 curated apps tested across 175 App Stores (175,000 individual tests).
    • App availability data solely from AppleCensorship.com, given its established database.
    • Results normalized to measure app unavailability rates by country, forming the 2024 AFI ranking.

  1. 2024 Results and Analysis: Key findings reveal critical patterns of app unavailability worldwide:

    • High restrictions in authoritarian states like China, Russia, and Afghanistan, where app bans target VPNs, media, and human rights tools.
    • Moderate unavailability in regions impacted by infrastructure or economic barriers.
    • Greater app freedom in a minority of countries, including most of Western Europe.

    These results uncover both intentional censorship and systemic inequalities that perpetuate digital divides.


  1. AFI 2025: An Evolving, Comprehensive Methodology: The 2025 methodology expands on the 2024 framework by:

    • Integrating data from both AppleCensorship.com and GoogleCensorship.org.
    • Incorporating qualitative indicators (legal, economic, sociocultural, and technological factors) to provide a nuanced view of app freedom.
    • Introducing adaptive weights and normalization techniques to enhance cross-country comparability.

Why the App Freedom Index Matters

Benjamin Ismail, Project Director of GreatFire’s App Censorship Project, states:

“In a world where apps are critical tools for communication, education, and civic engagement, app censorship often goes unnoticed but profoundly impacts users. The App Freedom Index fills this gap, combining data and analysis to hold governments and tech platforms accountable.”

By systematically tracking app unavailability across platforms and regions, the AFI empowers researchers, policymakers, and civil society to:

  • Monitor global trends in app censorship.
  • Expose governments and platforms that suppress digital freedoms.
  • Advocate for a more open and equitable digital environment.

Looking Ahead

The AFI will evolve further in 2025, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches to create the most comprehensive index of app freedom to date. By leveraging insights from hundreds of thousands of tests and expanding data sources, GreatFire aims to set a new standard for transparency in the app ecosystem.

To explore the AFI White Paper, Methodologies, and 2024 Results, you can click on each menu item below.

About the App Censorship Project

GreatFire’s App Censorship Project is dedicated to combating app censorship worldwide. Through platforms like AppleCensorship.com and GoogleCensorship.org, we monitor app availability, identify restrictions, and advocate for a free digital ecosystem.